Waking
by Anon1000
Summary: The wheel of Fate is always turning, and we must turn with it. aber\Shiro. Chapter 10: The Sword, the Scabbard, the Judge, the White Knight, and the Will of the Wisp.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Intro: So I watched this neat anime called Fate recently, and it struck a very powerful cord with me. The ending was phenomenal, even if it was very sad. Like most people, when faced with an unhappy ending, I like to pursue fanfiction for a happier one. Trying to write something like this that doesn't betray the original ending is tricky, but I think this will strike a a nice balance.

The idea of this one mostly comes from Lelouch's Snowfall in Autumn. It is a wicked fic! You should read it, review it, and encourage him\her to write more! I hope he\she doesn't mind that I'm borrowing his\her premise, but I will be tackling this one much differently.

So without further ado...**  
**

* * *

**Waking **

"Shirou... You didn't go to school today. Are you alright?" she asked, her tone full of concern, with a touch of nervousness.

"I'm fine, Rin..." he replied, trying to brush her off. It wasn't a good day. He wanted to be alone today. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"You can't fool me, Shirou," she humphed, flinging the long locks of her hair behind he shoulders as she did so "It's been a year, hasn't it?"

He was silent. Slowly, hesitantly, he nodded. "...since the fifth War of the Greil," he supplied.

Rin nodded, sitting down beside him. "So be honest. Are you okay? You've been fine for months and now this."

Shirou was again silent. "...I will be," he managed. "I miss her, Tohsaka. Sometimes more then others. Today was the anniversary of the last day of the war, and well, it felt like it did back then..."

Rin smiled, though it seemed sad and confused. "Listen, Shirou," she began. "About that... Something weird happened today. I'm still not quite sure if I believe it or not, if it's a co-incidence or something..."

"Oh?" Shirou asked, his curiosity piqued. An irrational hope blossomed into his heart, and he quickly killed it. No need to leave himself open for more.

"You'll see yourself tomorrow. It's something you need to see for yourself." She left in a hurry after that. Shirou smiled sadly as she left. He hated being so depressed sometimes, but today he couldn't help it.

* * *

"Stupid Shirou," Rin cried, holding herself as she stumbled away from the Emiya compound. He was so self-centered when it came to Saber. It's been a year since Archer left as well, and it was the same for her!

She sighed, berating herself. No, it wasn't the same. Her relationship with her servant was never as deep as Saber and Shirou's... Also, and she wasn't sure, but...

Rin could never quite shake the feeling that Archer was still around, still with her some how. Saber wasn't.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, and continued on the way. She was still jealous, and Shirou would see why tomorrow.

* * *

"I see we had a few absences yesterday!" Taiga-sensei began, droning into a lecture. Though the whole class had to suffer it, Shirou was sure it was meant just for him. Shirou ignored her. He was more concerned with the young lady sitting a few seats away.

He couldn't believe it. The same pale golden hair, coiled and braided into a tight bun. The same blue ribbon, the fair alabaster skin, those cold, blue eyes...

"Well, for those of you missed yesterday, we have a neeeeew Student!" Taiga sing-songed. "I'd like to introduce our new exchange student!"

There was no way... If it was her, how could she sit there, silent, not even glance at him? After all they've been through... Was it even her?

"Joining us from jolly-old Britiain, I'd like to welcome - for the second time, thanks to you slackers - is Arturia Pendraig."

Even the name! Maybe it was her. It had to be. It couldn't be... Or was it? Did she remember? Was it true?

Saber.

* * *

Author's Notes: I don't know why I wrote that scene with Rin by herself. Seemed natural to write, if a bit out of place. I like Rin, but I couldn't possibly tell you why.

I didn't want to make Pendragon her last name (too Arthurian!), but i didn't want to give her something that sounded like it and was modern. Wikipedia's article on Pendragon starts of as "Pendragon or Pen Draig means..." and I was like, "Yes, snatched!"

Anyways, expect short but frequent chapters. lots of conversations, significant scenes, I'm just going to bangbangbangbang them out.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate or anything. I'm just taking them out for drinks on Saturdays

"Sooooooo... Saber-chan's back!" Taiga laughed, poking him lightly. The class had broken for lunch, though Taiga had remained to antagonize Shirou.

Shirou grumbled. Of course that's what Taiga would think. She never knew anything of Saber's origins. She came into his life magically and left the same way. As far as she knew, this look-a-like could be no one but Saber. "Fuji-nee..." he began, unsure of what to say. "I don't think... I don't think she's Saber."

"Of course she is!" Taiga laughed. "Who else could that be? Looks like Saber to me."

Shirou sighed, not quit sure how to respond.

"Don't you worry, Shirou! I understand" she said excitedly, "Your big sister Fuji won't interfere! Now that she's back you can both make up and get together again at your own speed!" She stuck her tongue out at him, and then bolted out the door.

"Hey!" Shirou protested, but Taiga was already gone. "That's... That's just great."

He sat quietly at his desk for a few moments, not sure what to do or how he should proceed. Should he ignore this new development and go on with his life? Talk to her perhaps? Part of him was over joyed to see his love again. Another part was terrified, tortured by her visage, freezing him indecision. He had said goodbye to Saber, accepting that they would part there, and that would be perhaps the last time he saw he saw her in his life. Perhaps the last time in forever.

She didn't even notice him, or appear to know him. If he were to talk to her, what would he do? Go up to her and say, "Excuse, but do you happen to be King Arthur? You see, you look a lot like her, and we fought a magic war together once..." Bah. It was ridiculous.

"So?" a voice questioned, knocking him out of his reverie. Rin pulled up beside him, opening her bento on his desk.

Shirou looked around. 'Arturia' didn't appear to be around. "She looks like her!" he hissed.

"Yes. She does, doesn't, she?" Rin replied coyly. "So what are you going to do?"

He sat, squirming in his seat. "I don't know."

Rin frowned. "I'll tell you what you're going to do," she began.

Shirou raised his eyebrow, piqued with curiosity. When Rin got like this... "And what's that?" he chuckled.

Rin glared. "You're going to sieze this-- This second chance! You're going to seize it by the horns. You're going to have your cake, and you're going to eat it."

"I'm going to eat cake?" he responded coyly.

"It's an expression!" she snapped. "I don't think this a coincidence, Shirou."

Shirou frowned. "...I don't think this person, if she is Saber, I don't think she knows me."

"Hmph. Well, start over then," replied Rin. "Don't pass this up. Do you think Ilya will get the chance to see Berserker again? That I will see Archer again? Don't pass this."

Shirou sighed. "Alright... Alright. I just need to think about this."

* * *

_Oh my god. Oh my god. _He still needed to think about it, and there she was! He had stopped for groceries on his way home from school, and there Saber, Arturia, or whoever she really was, just a head of him in line at the cashier.

Watching Saber shopping, paying, and hefting groceries away was as bizarre as watching her sit in class. She was wearing her school uniform, which Shirou still thought looked horribly out of place on her. Such modern things, while not beyond her understanding, were certainly outside of Saber's element when he knew her. Whoever this person was, if it was Saber at all, was part of the the same time he was.

She didn't seem to notice him at all as he watched her pay for groceries. Nor did she notice him as she gripped two huge paper grocery bugs underneath each arm, both brimming with food. She seemed to be struggling, though was managing with a bit of grace. He kept watching her as he finished paying for his own groceries.

As he neared closer, leaving with a small bag tucked under his arm, suddenly, the girl began to topple. One of the paper grocery bags slipped from her arm. Shirou's hands shot out to grab the bag, but not fast enough to stop most of the food from spilling to the floor. Immediately, both leaned down and began picking them up

"Oh, thank you..." she began, noticing another pair of hands helping her stuff groceries back into her bag. She looked up at him, peering at him hard as if trying to place him. "...I apologize. I recognize you as a classmate, but I do not know your name. "

"Uh... Emiya Shirou, Pendraig-san," he offered awkwardly. He picked up one of the dropped items and examined what he was putting into the bag... Lots of canned goods and instant food. _Saber never could cook well, _he absentmindedly reminded himself.

"Ah. Yes. Thank you for the assistance, Emiya-san," she said, offering him a weak smile.

"Do you need any help carrying them?" he offered, as he placed the last parcel of food back to the bag. _Smooth, _Shirou_, smooth,_ he chided himself. Speaking to her, this Arturia, he felt that old spark light up. He didn't want to part with her right here.

"I can manage on my own," she huffed lightly, gathering both huge bags in her arms again. Then, quickly, she added with a small smile, "...Thank you, Emiya-san."

She turned to leave, awkwardly tried to open the door with her arms full. Shirou watched as she began to wobble once more. This time, she clutched both bags tightly under arms... It looked like she had a firm hold of them this time, and would manage just fine... Until she started rocking backwards... Shirou watched slightly in horror as she began to tip. He moved to grab her, but she was too far away this time.

CRASH.

Shirou stood frozen at the mess on the floor. Both bags of groceries had emptied to the floor, and Arturia had fallen as well, inclined slightly by her arms.

She rocked herself up slightly so she no longer laying. Observing the mess, she uttered a small laugh. "...Perhaps..." she began, hesitantly. "Perhaps I will reconsider your offer of assistance."

A small smiled crossed her face, and he allowed one of his own to blossom as well. He offered his hand to help her up, and she accepted. His smile become brighter, and he wasn't feeling quite as awkward anymore.

* * *

Seemed like a good spot to end it. I hope I managed a good Saber vibe with Arturia there. A modern Saber is a difficult thing to imagine, without making her too different. You'll see more the next chapter.

Please review. I realize the Fate section isn't as popular as the Ranma one, but I like to know what people think. I generally assume no news in bad news. So please review :)

Next up: The Walk Home.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Fate, as much as I wish it.

They continued along for a little while, Arturia leading with Shirou following, each with one of the great bags of food tucked under their arms. They said nothing for a while, and Shirou was becoming frustrated with the silence. Speaking suddenly, he decided to break it.

"...You speak very Japanese well," he began. It was a statement and also a question. Her command of the language was very meticulous, lashed with the practiced grace of someone who had learned to master it. It was certainly a strange language for a young women from Britain to know with such grace, so he was curious how she came to know it so well. He also wondered, in the back of his mind, how the Saber he once knew had learned modern Japanese so well. Magic, he supposed. To his pleasure and discomfort, Arturia spoke just exactly as Saber had during the War of the Grail.

"Yes," she responded. "My family has always had business interests in this country, so we vacationed here frequently. Learning the language was... expected of me."

Curious. A family? Business interests? He didn't know why he found that troubling... Jealousy, maybe? The Saber he knew only had, well, himself. Or maybe he was just angry just because her origin wasn't in Britian's mythical beginnings? "So you're not here by choice?" he managed.

"I am," she stated firmly. "Even though it is expected of me, it was my own choice to study abroad. It is a pleasant country, and I enjoy many aspects of it."

There was a moment of silence, and then Shirou couldn't help but notice a brief blush on Arturia's face. Arturia shook it off quickly, "I have just shared you some details about myself, Emiya-kun. How about your?"

"Eh? Me?" he stuttered. His life in the past year was pretty boring, and he didn't really have anything exciting to say... Except for the Holy Grail War, but he was pretty sure she'd think he was crazy. Her mannerisms and appearance were definitely the same as Saber's, but she was a modern person at the same time.

Well, might as well start with the basic. "Well, I live alone in the city," he began. "Sort of." He wasn't quite sure how to explain the situation with Ilya. Ilya had been living with him since the Holy Grail War, and and Taiga and Sakura were there every morning and evening.

"You are living alone?" she asked, her voice almost excited. She seemed to find this detail interesting. "What of your family?"

He stopped walking suddenly, his heart begining to beat hard. He didn't really share the details of his family in regular conversation. Still... this girl with Saber's face... he realized he couldn't keep anything secret from her. "I don't have any," he said, finally.

"Oh..." she began, trailing off, her excited tone suddenly becoming uncertain.

"My parents died in a huge fire ten years ago," he finally said, his tone casual, as if he was telling to the story to his closest friend. Part of him felt it was his closest friend. "And my dad - the man who adopted me - he died several years ago. He left me well off, so I get by okay because of him."

Arturia was flabbergasted into silence. Shirou immediately regretted blabbing like that - sharing such heavy knowledge when all he'd been asked was to describe himself. He was about to apologize when she spoke up.

"I apologise, Emiya-san," Arturia sputtered quickly. She face was flush with embarrassment, and her eyes with downcast and filled with guilt. "I did not... I did not mean to awaken such sad memories for you."

Silence again reigned for a few moments. Shirou was feeling guiltier himself. He was about to apologise, to assure her he was the one at fault for sharing such... grim details about his past, when she had only asked to know something innocent. Again, she silenced him by speaking before he could.

"It must have been horrible for you."

That shut him up. He thought about it, and began formulating a response. "It was- but... It was tragic, but..." he struggled. He looked at Arturia, becoming lost in her face, her eyes, and suddenly the words became easy. "Those two events, they were tragic, but they **made** me. I am who am because of them. I know I wouldn't change what happened for anything, because otherwise I wouldn't have met..." he stopped suddenly and realized he was babbling.

"Met who?" Arturia asked, general curiosity present in her tone. Her eyes were lifted again, and Shirou's confident words had seemed to have driven out the gloominess from her eyes.

He grinned. "Someone important, someone who changed my life," he said, leaving at that. He was of course, talking about Saber. The decision - Saber's decision - to accept her mistakes, to accept the consequences of actions as King, and rise above them was a powerful memory for him. He felt the same way about the death of his parents - they made him what he was, and set him on his path. On that path he made important friends - Fuji-nee, Ilya, Sakura, Rin, and of course...

At the thought, he grinned more brightly at Arturia, not caring if she thought him strange. It didn't seem to bother her, however, and expression had become more dreamy, more contemplative.

Arturia was silent, shifting the bag of groceries from arm to arm. "I see..." she trailed off, nodding in understanding. Shirou looked at her. Her eyes stared into the sky contemplating something. "My father," she began hesitantly. "He died when I was young, and my mother is-"

"Hey!" Shirou silenced her. Was she telling him this stuff because she felt guilty for what he told her? "Don't tell me stuff like that because you feel guilty. You don't have to share it just because I did."

She looked embarrassed now, her eyes hurt. "I wasn't..." she began, but halted her words. "I'm sorry. Your words struck me with their bravery, and I suppose I felt the urge to respond with me own."

He blushed at the comment of his "brave words," not quite sure how to respond. Silence reigned again, and they continued to walk on with no words said. Shirou contemplated what to say next, before something struck him."Listen, about what I said before, that's not quite true," he began. "I do have a family. Fuji-nee - that is, Fujimura-sensei- is my guardian. And I have Ilya, and Sakura, and Rin... They're not blood related, but they're family." He finished speaking, lost again in her gaze, and couldn't help but smile.

"Fujimura-sensei is your guardian?" Arturia questioned. She chuckled lightly, and Shirou almost mistook it for a giggle. "She is... a character, to say the least."

Shirou laughed. "Well, that's Fuji-nee!"

They continued walking onward for a few more feet, coming to what appeared to be a small, upscale apartment complex. Arturia stopped suddenly. "This is my home," she announced as she began walking forward to a gate. The building looked rather nice, Shirou noted.

She led him through the entrance, and they wandered through the building into they arrived at what Shirou assumed was her door. She dug into her pockets, pulling out a pair of keys and unlocking the door and gingerly opened it. It allowed him a quick glimpse inside, and he couldn't help but notice how well furnished it was.

The groceries were quickly handed off, and placed inside. Sadly, he realized now it was time to part.

"Well, good night. I'll see you at school tomorrow," he replied, trying to hid his glumness.

"Goodnight Shirou," she responded closing the door, "I will see you in class as well."

The door closed with a click, and the sound of locking was heard. He sighed dreamily, staring at the doorway in front of him. He reflected on the events of the evening.

Talking to Arturia - He was sure, he there was a connection. Just speaking to her, he knew he felt a little of Saber in her. There was different of course, but she was very similar to the women he fought a war with. Perhaps this was actually the kind of person Saber was, unburdened by her duty and mistakes that had so shaped her life? He wasn't sure, and he supposed he would have to get to know he better to get that answer.

He hoped it wasn't too late to get home and make it for dinner. Mabe, hoping Rin had stopped by for dinner and was still there. He had a lot of questions. He turned away from the door, and began slowly walking away.

"Good night... Saber," he said aloud, before fading away into the shadows.

* * *

"...Curious," Arturia mumbled, as she watched Shirou's retreating form, spying through the door's peephole.

She didn't quite know what to make of him.

While she was originally put off by his offer to help (her grandfather's warnings of Japanese men ringing through her head), overall, she found him to be generally polite and perfectly amiable. He looked her in the eye when speaking to her, and his vision didn't wonder.

It was a bit of a surprise to learn about him speak about his troubled past so freely. Then again, she had as well. She didn't know what came over - telling him about her father like that (and almost the situation about her mother, too). It certainly wasn't guilt that motivated that brief confession, nor feeling it was a duty owed because he had shared his past.

It was something more then just that...

There was something familiar about him. Something that made her trust him. She didn't know how this was possible, as she was confident she had never met Shirou before.

Perhaps they had met in one of her previous trips to Japan? No, she was sure she would recall...

Regardless, she decided she liked this Emiya Shirou, and wanted to make a point to talk to him again. She was alone, in this city, at least until Grandfather visited on business, so it couldn't hurt to make a few friends.

She paced around her home a bit, stowing the groceries she had just fought and found she was unable to sit still. It was getting late, though she found she wasn't quite ready to retire. Before the grocery store incident, she was exhausted from the long day's studies. The Japanese school day was much longer then what she was used to, and she had felt exhausted before her trip to the market.

Yet for some reason, after the walk home, she was full of energy, almost rejuvenated.

She pulled out her school books. Well, she couldn't sleep, she should make good use of the energy and see to her studies.

* * *

Author's notes: Funny how this stuff seems to change from what I originally outline and almost seems to write itself.

It was wierd how much stiffer my writing got when I started writing Arturia's perspective. The language just got really... Formal. I dunno, I like it.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Fate, as much as I wish it.

"Ohhhhh, poor Shirou!" Taiga lamented. "My poor ward! Why didn't you tell me that this was the case?"

Sakura was brutally, gloomily silent. Rin was smirking. Shirou was puzzled. Ilya was curled on the floor, clutching her belly and moaning about it eating too much rice.

He had just arrived home when Taiga had ambushed him and engulfed him into a crushing embrace. "Tell you what?" Shirou managed, pulling himself out of her octopus-like grip.

"That Saber had amnesia!" she wailed. "No wonder you two aren't talking!"

"Oh... Well... Um..." He turned to Rin. She was still grinning, and Shirou it was her who had said something. Something... Untruthful. He frowned. He didn't like lying.

Rin smiled, ignoring Shirou's knowing glare. "Yes, I told them about Saber's injury lat year," Rin lied. "The one that damaged her memory and forced her to go home! I know it upset you, but it wasn't really fair to keep it from Fujimura-sensei for so long." She was a snake, Shirou was sure.

"Mmm hmm!" Taiga said, obliviously agreeing with Rin. "You should have told me! It's not fair leaving me out of the loop."

Shirou began grinding his teeth. "I apologize..." he managed, clinging to Rin's lie. It made more sense then the truth, at least. "You know... how difficult it is..." he supplied, lamely.

"Well I know now, so it's okay!" Taiga chirped. "It's forgiven."

"I... I'm happy that Saber is back, Sempai," Sakura managed. Her tone betrayed her real feelings on the matter, leaving Shirou unable to meet her eyes. He wasn't totally oblivious to her affection, and couldn't help feel bad for her. He couldn't really return her affection, and he had hoped she had been oblivious to his closeness with Saber. Apparently not... If Fuji-nee could put two and two together, so could Sakura. "I'll be leaving now. I've put away a bento for you tomorrow, if you need it. Good night."

"I'm leaving as well!" Taiga announced. "Good night, Shirou, Rin!" The two exited together, leaving Rin, Shirou, and Ilya to themselves. Shirou immediately turned to Rin, and shot her another death-glare. Rin ignored it.

"I'm sorry about the lie, but this is less awkward then the confusion it will cause if they try talking to her."

"There will still be confusion if they try to talk to her," Shirou argued. "What if Fuji-nee wants to talk about the amnesia or something?"

"She might," Rin admitted, "but I think she's more likely to keep her distance with that topic."

He said nothing to say to that. Sakura and Fuji-nee might be less reluctant to confront Arturia about the past, knowing that she wouldn't remember them. He crossed his arms, and sighed. Might as well get down to business. "...So I spoke to Arturia. On my way home."

Rin grinned, arcing her eyebrow in a knowing look. "Oh? Such a player. You move quickly."

Shirou ignored her. "She seems..." he stopped, not quite sure how to phrase his feelings after his earlier encounter. "She doesn't just look like Saber," he managed. "She talks like her too. Same mannerisms! And after talking to her, I feel more of Saber in there. It's not a coincidence."

His hands gripped his knees hard. "So I guess my question is," he continued, "is it possible that this is Saber? Reincarnated? Is that possible"

"Baka," Rin mumbled. "Reincarnation. That has been my suspicion since she arrived two days ago... Shirou, she has the same prana-aura as Saber did. Well, not entirely the same, because she's human, and definitely not a servant. But the base patterns were the same, and that, you should know-"

"The Einzberns knew lots about reincarnation!" Ilya chirped suddenly, forcing herself into the conversation. Her snow white hair swished behind her, as she pulled her self from her incline on the floor. Up until now the girl had been listening quietly while nursing her 'tummy ache.' Rin huffed, upset that she was interrupted, but allowed Ilya to continue. "Lots of different things can happen to a soul when someone dies. Sometimes they linger, sometimes they ascend, like heroic souls do! A lot of souls get reborn into something else, though."

Ilya rocked back and forth, and let loose a small gasp of gas while clutching her belly before continuing. "The Einzberns used what they knew to track reborn souls of mages."

Rin nodded. "The soul of a mage would be able to take their magical talent from one life to the next. By finding a mages rebirth, they could bring their magical talent to the fold."

"Yep!" Ilya chirped, her grin blossoming arrogantly. "Though they don't do it much anymore. Soul tracking is hard, and today, there are easier ways of finding people who can do magic."

"But... You're saying this thing with Saber could be something natural," Shirou offered, somewhat hopeful. He liked the idea that heaven or destiny or whatever was tossing him a bone, and wanted to cling to it.

"Maybe," replied Ilya, her tone uncertain. "But she looks the same, and sounds the same, and even has close name! That's WEIRD, Shirou. Tracking a reborn soul is supposed to be hard because the reborn person is completely different from who they were before. Saber's all the same and that's not right."

"Ilya is right, Shirou," agreed Rin. "If this is a reincarnation, I don't think it's a natural one. For so many qualities of a person's last life to be retained here, there must be powerful magics at work. Maybe another mage. Or worse..." Rin trailed off, thinking of what sort of magical entity or force would be needed to do something like that. She recalled a Church story told to her by Kirei, of a murderous Vampire Apostle that would reincarnate itself in a new host every time it was slain, and couldn't help but shiver.

"But Saber was a Heroic Soul," Shirou protested, part of him unwilling to admit something sinister might be at play. "Maybe the rules for that sort of things are different."

"That could be it," Rin nodded. "But it used to be the only way to summon a heroic soul into the world was during the Holy Grail War." She watched Shirou's eyes fall into his lap disappointed. She felt rotten, like she had kicked a puppy. "I'm not saying something evil is going on here. It could be nothing, but we should be on our guard just in case."

Shirou growled, a bit discouraged with that news. Nothing could come easy, could it? "You're right, Tohsaka," he sighed. He stood up, and crossed his arms, looking out the window sternly. "Still... You've convinced me that I can't stay away. That's really Saber there, and if there's something bad going on..." He trailed off, but his eyes were as stern as steel. _Saber_...

* * *

Taiga hummed happily as she left for the night. She was pleased to finally have some answers.

While she didn't initially approve of the girl when she had met her, nor the strange living arrangements Saber had arranged with Shirou at the time, she grew to like the strange foreigner and the effect she had an Shirou. Her disappearance worried Taiga immensely. The worst part was nobody would tell her anything about what happened (not even the little brat Ilya would betray the secret, even for candy).

Also, Saber had become a close part of what Taiga called the 'meal circle,' the little impromptu family Shirou had assembled for himself that met during the morning and evening to eat. Even if it wasn't a real family, she couldn't help but have it feel like one. Her absence seemed to affect Shirou, and Shirou's muddy moods infected everyone else in return. Their 'family' felt fractured, as a result.

But now she finally had some clarity into what happened. Saber was injured, and had suffered a head injury and had to go home - wherever that was - and receive treatment. And now she was back, but couldn't remember anyone. That's why Shirou was so heartbroken - Saber couldn't remember him. It all made sense.

It was nice to even know the girl had a real name - she had thought Saber was a strange name, even for a foreigner. Arturia felt strange as well, but it seemed a bit more down to earth.

So the girl had no memory of any of them anymore? No memory of Shirou? Well, that just wouldn't do. Saber made Shirou happy, and he was going to be happy again, damn it.

She'd have to take matters to his own hand and get them back together. It had been awhile since she had played matchmaker, but Saber's heart will remember the true way, all with Fujimura-sensei's help!

She couldn't help herself, and let loose a booming, merry laugh into the evening sky.

* * *

Author's notes: In which I establish some long range plans with this story.

I started delving into the rules of the Nasuverse with the reincarnation discussion, and mostly decided to say 'fuck it, i be making this shit up.' Too complicated to stay perfectly canon. I think I'm going to not touch that stuff too much, but at least it helps me with story planning. I did make a reference to Roa, though, who is from Tsukihime.

also,

ohohoho, Taiga is so unbelievably fun to write. I don't know why I decided she'd become such a romantic. Hopefully it doesn't seem like an unnatural progression of her character after the anime, but I like the idea that she approved of Saber over time and wants to help.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Type Moon owns Fate, not I. This is a fan work, and no profit was made.

"Right, right! So before class ends, I'd like to assign your midterm English assignment!" The class collectively groaned. Distressed cries of "Tiger-sensei!" blossomed and were quickly silenced. Having Fujimura-sensei for both home room and English was both a blessing and a curse for this class, and though her antics were amusing, 'Tiger-sensei' was also a brutal task master. This assignment would be the cherry on top of an already hefty work load.

Taiga happily explained the assignment after that, despite the further rebelliously groaning. The assignment, she explained, was to take a traditional Japanese recipe and transcribe it into English (her love of food apparent), and would be due at the end of the work. Points would be "Now, this is a partner project!" Taiga explained. Cheers began to fill the class room as she spoke, but quickly transformed back into groans when she finished: "...so allow me to assign you your partners!"

She pulled up the class attendance list, and began to read names at random. "Mitsuzuri Ayako and... Saotome Akira..."

"Ryuudou Issei and... and Tosaka Rin..." There was a loud, violent crash as Issei fell out of his chair. His cries of protest went unheard, as Taiga continued to read more names. She grinned widely, as she finally got to the last set of partners. "Emiya Shirou... and Arturia Pendraig! And I'm off"

This startled Arturia out of reverie. She had been working on another assignment for another class, and wasn't actually part of Taiga's English lesson. Given that English was her first language, it was the one class the school administration had given her an exemption on.

"...Pardon me, Fujimura-sensei," Arturia called, rushing from her chair. Taiga was almost out the door, and she quickly closed the distance before the teacher could leave the class. Taiga blinked in confusion as the younger girl approached her. "But I'm not actually part of your English class. I have an exemption from it, seeing as English is my native language."

"Eeeeeeeh?" Taiga eeped. "But... um... why are... why are you here right now?" Taiga asked, puzzled. This was an obvious oversight to her plans. If Arturia wasn't actually part of her English class, there was little she could do. She was also home room teacher for this class, but she couldn't very well enact this plan their.

"I really have nowhere else to go," Arturia explained. "I suppose I could go to the library during your English lessons, so as not to disturb them,"

"No, no, you can stay," Taiga replied, rubbing her temples. She needed to think of a way to salvage her plans. "Well, if that's the case, then Emiya-kun is the only person without a partner. That's a wee bit unfair to him, "

"That's unfortunate," Arturia admitted, feeling a small pang of guilt stab through her heart. She supposed she COULD help, but if she did... "but should I do the assignment as well, that would also be unfair advantage Shirou would have over the rest of the class."

"Well, um, you see..." Taiga blubbered, wracking her brain for a solution. Suddenly, a spark of light enveloped her mind. "Well, Shirou's English is horrible!" she blurted. Yes! That's how she would enact this plan! "That's why I had you in mind as a partner! What he really needs is an English tutor! If you can do, this for him, I'll see that you get some extra credit points for your exchange program evaluation.

"...Well, I suppose..." Arturia considered. The extra credit would certainly help, as the abroad studies program she was studying under actually demanded her taking part in some sort of extracurricular activities. Usually this meant some sort of club activity, but she imagined tutoring would count as well. And it wasn't like she was opposed to helping Shirou, either. He seemed nice enough.

"So it's decided! Thank you, thank you Saber-chan!" Taiga blurted, quickly cutting Arturia off befor she could get formulate a real reply. She slipped past Arturia, leaving the younger girl awestruck, and bolted out the door "I have to get to my next class so seeeeee yoooou!" her voice called, as she fled down the hallway.

Arturia blinked a few times, unsure of what just happened. She wondered-

...Wait. Saber-chan? What did Fujimura-sensei mean by that?

* * *

"My English isn't that bad," Shirou mumbled to himself, overhearing the conversation. Fuji-nee had no concept of 'inside voice' and he was sure half the class had heard her proclamation of his mediocre command of the English language. He was a bit disturbed by what Fuji-nee had just done. He wasn't stupid, he knew what she was trying to do for him, but he needed to tackle it on his own. Fuji-nee interfering like this wasn't helping, especially when he called her Saber. Maybe she wouldn't notice.

Still, he could appreciate working on a project with Arturia. He was somewhat daunted by Ilya and Rin's warnings of powerful magics, but that wouldn't stop him. The road was uncertain, but for Saber, he'd keep traveling it.

"Ah... Yes, I take it you overheard, Emiya-kun?" Arturia asked shyly. She had her hands crossed behind her back, and Shirou was struck by how cute and vulnerable she looked.

"Yeah..." he smiled, blushing slightly. "You're to be my tutor."

"Yes," she agreed, looking a bit unsure as well. "If you'll have me. I do speak the language well enough.

"No doubt!" he chuckled, causing Arturia to blush herself. "Listen - I'm sorry. Sometimes Fuji-nee gets too involved in things," he explained, keeping the meaning of 'things' as vague as possible.

"No... You said she's your guardian?" she asked, recalling his words from the evening before. "That is kind of her. It's only natural for he to be concerned about your studies."

Shirou resisted the urge to frown. Saber was always a bit naive. He forced a smile. "I suppose."

There was a moment of awkward silence, where both Arturia and Shirou focussed on the floor, awkwardly staring at each other's her feet. Finally, she mustered some courage and met his face again. "...When would be a good time for us to study?" she asked.

"Well... It's a bit soon... but how about tonight? You can join us for dinner," he asked, both his voice and expression hopeful.

"Dinner?" she gaped, her mouth beginning to water. She suppressed the hunger pang "...Well...I shouldn't impose..."

"A nice home cooked meal would beat instant ramen," he pushed. Saber's greatest weakness was her appetite! She blushed a little at that, as they both remembered last nights grocery fiasco and her spilled pile of instant and canned foods.

"I... Home cooked?" she stuttered, trying hard not to salivate. She loved Japanese cooking, but her... sub par cooking skills generally made anything she could prepare bland and un-enjoyable. "Well! Okay! I'd like that."

"Great!" he cheered, a little too excitedly. He at least had the dignity to put a straight face on, but privately, he chuckled to himself. He actually felt _smooth _once in his life.

* * *

"So what would you like?" Shirou asked, as he began pulling a variety of dishes and ingredients out from the nooks and crannies.

"Oh... Well, I'm fine with anything..." Arturia managed to say, carefully absorbing her surroundings. The first thing that had struck her was how _large _the Emiya estate was. It was humongous. Shirou lived here by himself? What did he do with it all? He even had a dojo!

The second thing that struck was how overwhelmingly _Japanese _it was. She had stayed in Japan often enough, but the places she had stayed before were western furnished hotels. From the shoji screen doors and dividers, to the woven tatami mats, she was stunned by a small glimmer of culture shock from her surroundings.

There was a third feeling that struck her, one she couldn't quite place. It seemed to be a lingering sense of deja vu, as if she had been here before. Not only was this the first time in this place, this was her first time in these kinds of surrounding. Knowing that, where could this small twinge of familiarity be coming from?

"I'll see what recipes I have. We can go through them as I cook and use one for the project," said Shirou as he fumbled, shattering her line of thought and focussed her on the task at hand: eating.

"Oh... I have some Miso recipes and one for Agedashi tofu, but they're not very big..." Shirou rambled, palming through a stack of paper he removed from a drawer. Her mouth watered at the foods he was mentioning. _She loved Japanese food._

"Oh! This gyoza recipe is more lengthly!" Shirou exclaimed joyfully. Arturia watched as he carefully examined what appeared to be an old wrinkled photocopy. Suddenly, he blew hard on the document, causing a small cloud of dust to explode in his face. "Heheh," he chuckled, fanning the dust away with the photocopy. "I haven't used these recipes since after dad died."

* * *

"This is very good," she said, savoring a mouthful of rice. Shirou had cooked a rather hefty meal, including the dumpling recipe he had found before. The recipe was pretty detailed, and would make a good choice for the English project. "It's very big,"

"Yeah. I cooked a lot, in case the others come for dinner," he explained. "Though tonight's archery practice, so Sakura and Fuji-nee doesn't always come when that happens. Ilya should be up soon, though, and sometimes Rin comes."

"I meant your home..." she said, gesturing with her arms to express the enormity of his estate.

"Oh, well, yeah. Dad left it to me. I really don't know what to do with all of it. All of the space is a pretty big waste."

"It is very big for just yourself," she commented. "Perhaps if you wanted a family one day, the space would be useful."

"That's true," he agreed, stopping to ponder her words. He wondered if Kiritsugu lived here or grew up here with his family. "I don't think a family is in the cards for me."

"Really?" she asked, her curiosity swelling a little. "Well, what is 'in the cards' for you?"

"Well... You're going to think this is stupid... " he began, dreadfully unsure if he should continue and share. Most people laughed when he told them of his life long ambition. "But I want to be a hero. A Hero of Justice."

Arturia blinked, not quite understanding. "Like a police officer?"

"Well... sort of. I guess." He paused, really not want wanting to explain what he really meant. "That's close, but not quite what I meant..."

She grinned suddenly, clarity blooming on her face. "You're thinking more like a super hero," she giggled. "Like Batman!"

"Uh..." he started to say, but stopped in his tracks as she burst out laughing. That was close, wasn't it? He wasn't really thinking of being a super hero, but... he wanted to save people. Whether that meant fighting crime or not, he didn't know. If the Holy Grail War was any indication, it probably was.

"It is, too, isn't?" she giggled, pushing the issue. The expression was something he'd never seen on Saber's face anymore. The compar somber amusement then adorable giggling.

"Hey! Don't laugh," he protested. He was used to being teased about his dreams and could usually handle the laughter. Coming from her, however, he was a bit hurt. There was a moment of awkward silence when her laughing died done. He picked at his rice, and reluctantly, he added "...It's more like Kamen Rider then Batman."

Her laughter roared to life yet again, and he couldn't help but feel himself burn red in embarrassment. Finally, her girlish giggling began to subside. "Kamen Rider?" she asked. "Is that a super hero, too?"

"He's a Japanese super hero," he explained, unwilling to meet her in the eyes. He grinned suddenly, meeting her gaze. "He's way stronger then Batman."

"Hush!" she huffed, suddenly, surprising Shirou. She recalled hiding many Batman comics from her mother as a child, and enjoying most of the films. The Dark Knight was one of her favorite fictional figures, despite her mother's best efforts to force something more feminine on her. "Don't you know?" she asked matter-of-factly. "Nobody beats Batman. He's much too clever for your Rider."

"No way," Shirou decided. Kamen Rider was his super hero, his favorite, even before the fire. There was no way some gaijin super hero could measure up, even one as internationally popular as Batman.

"Yes way!" she said, standing slightly and lightly pounding the kitchen table. Shirou couldn't help it, and began to laugh at her conviction. Shirou continued to chuckle, and it was Arturia's turn to blush.

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that..."

"Hmph," Arturia playfully huffed again, settling back down to her seat. "That's just how it is, Shirou."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I shouldn't have laughed. It's a noble dream."

"It's okay. I'm used to being laughed at. It's not something I can just give up on, though. The world is a big place, and people everywhere need help."

"I see..." she trailed off, unsure to respond. Her mind wandered, and she imagined Shirou, traveling the world over and helping those in need, becoming a hero to them. She found the idea kind of... romantic, if a bit juvenile. It certainly sounded more adventurous then her life's path. Managing her families real estate holdings in Asia simply did not compare.

She sighed at the dreariness of the legacy that awaited her, and quickly snapped up another bowl of agedashi tofu. She devoured it quickly, enjoying the flavor. "I love the tofu," she admitted guiltily.

Shirou grinned. He wasn't surprised; it was Saber's favorite. "I'm glad."

She returned the smile at Shirou, feeling genuine joy at being able to sit and enjoy a meal with someone other then herself, to talk and to laugh. It had been ages since she had the opportunity to do this with her own family. With her father gone, and her mother unwell... And her Grandfather was much too busy to do something like that.

She began to stare at Shirou, suddenly feeling light headed. The dining room behind him seemed like it was stretching, and the more she stared at it, the more her dejavu from before intensified. She could almost see it... Another memory, behind the dining room. Shirou was nervously playing with his food, and didn't see her intense, confused glare. She could see it the ghost of an image, beside him, around him, almost a glimmer...

She could see outlines beside him now, shades of people she recognized. Fujimura-sensei was there, sitting across from Shirou. Beside her was another girl, with black hair bunched into twin ponytails and another girl with pale purple hair. A third girl, more of a child really, was seated at the table as well with her long snow white hair trailing behind her. They were all eating... Talking... And she was part of it...

The vision vanished as quickly as it arrived, but the pounding in her head remained.

"Good morning," a new, yawning voice announced as the door slid open. Arturia turned to examine the newcomer, and it was... it was the little girl, with the white hair. The one... the one from the... Vision? Memory? The one that had flashed before her a moment ago. How was that possible? Her head continued to throb painfully.

"It's not morning, Ilya," Shirou scolded, but it sounded as if it was so far away. "You shouldn't sleep all day!"

"I can't help it!" the little girl protested. "It's boring without onii-chan around so it's easiest to sleep!"

"Both me and Fuji-nee would feel better if you went to school during the day like a normal child,"

"But I'm not a normal child!" the girl protested again. "I'm-"

Ilya was suddenly silenced as Arturia groaned in pain, clutching her head as the throbbing worsened.

"Arturia?" Shirou asked, worry lacing his tone. His voice was small to her, almost far away. She clutched her head painfully. Something... Something was there, bubbling to the surface of her mind.

"Arturia?!" he asked again, feeling both his hands as he grasped her by her arms. She cried out again, and threw herself into Shirou's arms. She let go, delving deeper, away from the pain in her head. She could see something else now! The emerald green... A basking, golden glow!

_"...Saber..." _Shirou's voice echoed one last time, before fading into nothing. Visions of green, gold, and blue danced before her in his place.

* * *

Author's notes: Japanese schools have one class room for each class, and the teachers will move from class to class (rather then students moving from classroom to classroom). Type Moon Wiki says Taiga is an English teacher at the school. Not sure if that's accurate or not, but I've decided to run with it. I'm not sure Shirou, Rin, Issei, Ayako, etc are in the same class either, but it's been a year since Fate, so that lets me stack things the way I like. _/sticks out tongue/_

I actually looked up recipes to write this chapter. made me hungry.

I don't know where the Batman vs Kamen Rider thing came from. Clearly Shirou doesn't know what he's talking about. Someone cooler then Batman? That's unpossible!

Anyways, please review. Chapter 6 is essentially done, but I actually want to get some comments first before I post it (yes, I am blackmailing you).


	6. Chapter 6

_Long ago..._

She didn't know how long she walked, just that she did. Emerald tree tops towered above her, the gushing of small streams echoing around her. The eternal pleasant warmth of the sun was both maddening and comforting.

In the beginning, she found the solitude and natural beauty of this place refreshing. Finally released from her timeless duty, the environment of this place cooled and eased her trouble soul. She accepted her life: her mistakes and successes, her triumphs and failures. Her oath had ended, and she was, for a time, content.

Indeed, time in place had healed her wounds. However, as time toiled onward, that once contemplative solitude began to transform in to mild boredom. She found herself wanting to continue forward, ready to continue living.

It was not long after that the monotony of this place allowed the boredom to transcend into the beginnings of madness.

Indeed, though it had healed her wounds, now time was threatening to engulf her. How long had she walked through the streams and the glades of this land? Months? Years? The loneliness of this place was beginning to eat away at her. She had encounter not a single other soul. Was there no other spirit worthy to walk with her in death? To walk with her, the King? Or was this solitude punishment for her failures in life?

In an effort to keep the monotony at bay, she slept often in a hope to pursue the dream that was now long lost to her. Only empty specters welcomed her in her sleep - shades of memories long past and the hazed visage of the one her heart of hearts called for. She found herself walking towards it now; him and that unattainable dream. Each step was hopeless, though in the back of her heart she could not help but believe each one led her a step closer to her desire. It was a child's faith - and as vain as it was, it kept her sane.

So many footsteps later, hundreds of thousands, she found herself at a shore. The hope in her heart had burst iat the sight - was this a dead end?

The azure waters, like everything else in this place, were gorgeous. She began to resent the perfection of it all. She glared down at the waters, and resisted the urge to spit upon them. She kept her composure; even in death, she still was a King.

Absentmindedly, she wondered if she would happen if she were to start swimming. Would she be able to carry herself away from this hell? Would she drown, and if she did, would she die a second time? Or would the quiet waves sweep her back to where she began? She continued to contemplate, when something shocked her from her reverie.

"My King! You who have wandered Avalon for so long now - is it's majesty not extraordinary?"

The voice that had spoke was greatly familiar - long missed and very welcome to her - came from behind her. Surprise and joy welled in her heart, and she whirled around to see the address the newcomer. She almost wished to break down and cry tears of joy, though she held her composure. She was still King, even in death.

A tired smile graced her lips for the first time in a long while as she considered the newcomers initial question . After a few long moments of silence, "I suppose," she answered. The initial awe of this place had long since worn on her, though it had been extraordinary to her once.

"Is the beauty here not radiant? Do you not just wish to lose yourself in the azure sapphire waters? To bask in the emerald glow of Avalon's woods?"

She held her silence, noting the sarcasm that dripped from his gilded tongue. The voice's owner was very much aware of the nature of this place as she was.

"Do you not wish to rest her for eternity? To put your tired soul at rest?".

She gripped her fist hard - so hard that she thought she might draw blood. No blood could be drawn, however; not in this place.

"My King," the voice gasped, mock surprise drizzling from every word, "are you not content?"

She laughed aloud, finding the final question too absurd to keep her silence for.

"No," she laughed. The answer came quick and easy. She was not content. Her dream - the continuation of it - had fled her. There was nothing for her here but eternal solitude and loneliness. An eternity in this place - this supposed utopia constructed only for the king - would only drive her weary soul mad. Every second she spent here made it more and more of a prison.

This is not what she needed from eternity.

This is not what she wanted.

Nor who she wanted.

She approached the newcomer, that familiar voice, the first soul aside from herself that she had met with in a very long time. He was grinning from ear to ear, showing more then his fair share of teeth. She knew that look - he meant to make mischief. At one time that look in his eyes would strike panic into heart, but today she felt security in it .

"Well, my King," he said, holding himself high and running his hand through his long, wispy beard, "let us see if there's something we can do to shake things up a little bit."

She returned his grin with brighter one of her own, and threw herself into his arms in a great embrace. Her old adviser, like a father to her... "I need to leave here," she said. "Merlin, I need to... I need to return!" _To him._

"I can grant the former," he assured her. "But the latter... for that, we have much work to do. Dangerous work. How about it?"

"Anything..." she whispered... Anything to be rid of here, to continue her dream...

* * *

"...Anything," she mumbled aloud, the haze of sleep clearing. She awoke slowly, the vision fleeing from her mind. She pulled herself up, finding herself in strange, unfamiliar surroundings. She was in a futon, and not her bed in her own apartment. She kicked off the covers, and tried her best to examine the darkness in the low light of the moon. After a few moments, her eyesight adjusted and she vaguely recognized the architecture of the Emiya estate.

"...Saber..."

She tensed suddenly, finally noticing the slight, shallow breathing that occupied the room with her. Huddled in the shadows, slumped against the door was... Shiro.

She crawled slowly over to him, and found that he was sleeping, slumped over against the door. He was mumbling incomprehensibly in his slumber, and she edged back towards the futon so as to not disturb him.

She thought back to what brought her here - the project, and the promise of dinner. She had ate... And then, the deja vu - it had gotten worse, especially when the young girl had entered. She dimly remembered the pain in her head, and letting go - did she fall unconscious? So Shiro must carried her here, and laid her here to rest. Why didn't Shiro bring her to the hospital instead? Not that she was complaining - the last thing she needed was a doctor prodding her.

Still... the hospital would have been the appropriate response. So why was she here instead? And why was he watching over her?

She blushed slightly at that. She found it sweet of him - if a tiny bit creepy. Why was he taking so much interest in here? Why was she so drawn to him, like a moth to a flame? Why was he and everything here so blasted familiar yet so distant?

She slumped back into the futon, unsure. She had nothing but questions. She thought back to the dream - the strange vision and the clarity it held. She felt so sure of herself in the midst of it all, and now that clarity was gone.

"What was all that?" she mumbled aloud to the darkness. What had brought it on?

Furthermore, what did she do next?

* * *

Author's note: Short chapter, I know. I actually wrote this before chapter 5, but I wasn't quite sure where to stick it and have been sitting on it as a result.

Dangerous work, dangerous work ahead! Second chances don't come cheaply!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Fate belongs to those Type Moon guys, not me.

Wake up," she said, sitting herself up on the futon. The sun was only beginning to rise, and she found herself unable to go back to sleep. She burned with thoughts and questions from yesterday, and part of her knew shirou had answers. She felt it, he had to know.

He snorted in his sleep, still leaning against the door. How could he even sleep like that?

"Wake up!" she repeated, more loudly and forcefully.

"...Arturia," he mumbled as he began to wake. He stumbled into a kneeling position, almost falling over. "Are you alright? Rin said you just needed sleep, but I was still worried..."

She ignored him. "...This stuffed lion," she began, squeezing the toy lion close to her chest. She had found it sitting on a dresser a short ways from the futon. Upon seeing it, she instinctively snatched it. "It is familiar."

"This room is familiar," she continued. She stood up from the futon and began to circle the room.

"This house? Familiar. That girl? Ilya? She is familiar. Fujimura-sensei? Familiar. You are familiar!" she yelled, getting angry. "shirou. I met you for the first time a day ago, yet you burn in my memory like a life long friend! How is this?"

shirou was silent, unsure of how to respond. Part of him was joyous - he never imagined that she would be able to remember the Grail War. That the experiences that had shaped them both would not be remembered just in his heart . Another part of him was frightened and worried. Arturia was a very normal girl, and seeing her huddled before him, confused and scared broke his heart. Her world had been shaken just by being exposed to him. Did he tell her the whole story and shatter that world's very foundations? He had not forgotten her collapsing at the dinner table. Was that because he had brought on one of Saber's long forgotten memories?

"You know something, shirou. You know why I'm remembering things that never happened to me," she pressed.

Still he held his silence, unsure of how to proceed.

"...Who is Saber, shirou?" she asked, the question causing shirou's heart to pound faster.

"You called me that before the dream- before I passed out. And Fujimura-sensei called me that as well. What do you two know that I do not?

"...Fujimura doesn't know anything," shirou admitted quickly, finally speaking. The last thing he need was for her Arturia to approach Fuji-nee about this. No need to shatter her world view as well. "She knew Saber, not you."

"...Who is Saber?" she repeated, firmly. She needed to know.

"...Saber," he echoed, taking a deep breath. "Saber was- IS- the woman I fell in love with."

"What does that do with me?" she growled, looking away from him. She was a bit miffed at his last comment, but did not know why.

"You look like her," he said, standing to his feet. "Just like her. Like a twin. Even the way you have your hair braided - right down to the ribbon!" Arturia found herself clutching her braided bun unconsciously at his words.

"You have the same voice. You speak like her," he went on, his tone firm as stone. She stood in front of her, and they met gazes. "Her name was Arturia, as well. But Pendragon, not Pendraig."

She hugged the stuffed lion closer to her, recalling the dream and presence of Merlin. Pendragon - the meaning of this name was not lost to her, nor her own last name's similarity to it. She just assumed it was curious quirk to her lineage that her family's name so closely resembled that of her nation's legendary King. But after that dream - the meeting with the man who could only be Arthur's Wizard - she wondered if that connection was even deeper.

"But she's dead." Death wasn't really accurate - Saber had returned to wherever heroic souls go. Returned to death, as far as shirou was concerned. "She died, a year ago, but she's somehow you at the same time."

Then that would explain much, Arturia thought. The familiar, surprised recognition Fujimura-sensei had for her when she had joined her class the first day. And that other girl who kept staring at her... shirou had been watching her as well, she realized. They had known her before she had known them. Or at least, known someone who looked like her.

But what of these glimmers of memories, of things she had never done, places she'd never been! Were they hers, from another life? No, shirou had said that he had known this Saber a year ago... There was a connection, no doubt, but how could they be the same? In the back of her mind, she imagined having a twin sister separated at birth that she was sharing psychic memories with or something.

_No... No, that felt wrong._ Whatever she was remembering, these memories were hers.

"I believe you," she replied, finally. Despite this fracture in her world of reason, Arturia knew it was the truth. "But how could it be me? A year ago you knew her, and a year ago I was with my family in Britain."

"I... can explain that. I think. It's difficult," shirou managed, nervously running his hand through his red hair. "Do you believe in magic?"

"After what I just experienced, I'm not what I believe in," she admitted.

"Then... I.. I'll start from the beginning."

* * *

And so, he told his tale. From the fire that forged him, to the magus that adopted him, and how his father left the realm of the living. He tells her of the magic he learned from him, and his first encounter with Tohsaka Rin. Caught in the Grail War by circumstance, he tells her of his death and prompt resurrection, only to be stalked by Death yet again. He hesitates for a moment, and tells her of Saber's accidental summoning - an old magic circle left by his father triggered by by the scarbbard buried in him. He tells of how Saber appeared, and drove off the Death that killed him once.

He tells her of the beautiful girl that appeared before him - of her beauty and regal majesty. How he was instantly moved by her, and his desire to some how protect her (despite that it was him who needed protecting). He tells her of the beginning of their alliance with Rin and Archer and the War of the Greil. He tells her of themselves - the Sword and the Scabbard. He tells her of Rin and Archer.

He tells her of their triumphs and losses in the Grail War. He tells her of the small family the formed together with friends and allies, if only for a short time.

He tells her of the dreams they shared as they slept, of the King of Knights, that legend would remember as Arthur, of the girl that stepped forth and grasped the Sword in the Stone, and took the mantle of king, and of both her failures and triumphs, and her her goals to use the Grail to correct them.

He tells her of their first conflicts with each other. Of his foolish desire to try and protect the King of Knights. He tells of the resulting training, and the close friend ship that had blossomed.

He tell her of how her wish - her goal with the Grail disturbed him. That the mistakes made in life must stand, that they shaped who and what they were. That she was wrong to try and erase them.

He tells her of the love that blossomed, of their first and only date.

He tells her of his fear, how it frightened him that Saber would leave when the war was won.

He tells her of the King of Heroes, the Tyrant of Babylon. He tells her of their decision to destroy the Grail.

He tells her of their final victory in a war, and the defeat of their enemies.. He tells of their confession of love. He tells her of their silent goodbye.

He tells her of his mourning. His loneliness, despite being surrounded by friends. He tells her of his peace, and the memories he'll forever keep.

And he finishes his tale, telling her of second chances and rebirth.

* * *

They sat in silence for a while longer. The sun had fully risen, shining vigorously in the sky. shirou looked down at the floor, unsure what to say, while Arturia's gaze bore dreamily ahead, lost in thought.

She absorbed what he had told her. That she was once the reborn spirit of King Arthur (who was really woman in the first place), and that had given her the right to participate in a magical war for the Holy Grail. That they had fallen in love, won the war, and sadly, went seperate ways only to converge again at this point.

What he was telling her was so far from the realm of reality she had lived in yesterday made her reluctant to believe any of it, despite her strange unfathomable trust in shirou. She realized that what he was telling her was true, that part of her, long forgotten, had experienced this as well.

But her rational mind could not accept that. Not without proof.

"...You can do magic?" she asked, finally dispelling the awkward silence. Yes shirou said he could do magic. Or magecraft, whatever he called it.

"Yeah... Sorta. I can trace things. It lets me... recreate things from before out of nothing," he explained. She cocked an eyebrow, inviting him to prove it. "Here," he said, outstretching his hand.

Suddenly, light and energy began to sparkle and pulse in the air. A moment later, a sword appeared in his hand. A beautiful long sword, with a golden hilt and a blue handle. Flecks of blue stylized the inside the golden hilt. The hilt was engraved in some runic writing, and had three small red gems were embedded through out. Simply put, the sword was gorgeous._  
_

"Amazing!" she gasped. Real magic. To see it right in front of her after everything he's told her... If he could do this, perhaps his story was true as well.

"Can I... Can I hold it?" she asked, needing to feel it in her hands. The sword wasn't only beautiful, it was also FAMILIAR. She almost recognized it, and needed to touch it.

He nodded, and removed one of his hands from the blade and outstretched the vertical sword to her. "I have trouble keeping them going when they're out of my hands," he explained.

She nodded, and extended her hand, and gripped azure handle. She could feel the texture, the reality of it all sinking into her...

A flash of clarity. A huge monolith of a man towers above them, more monster then human. Rage radiates off him, his one glaring, red eye gleaming despite the night's shadows. Both their hands, hers and shirou's, entwine together, gripping that sacred blade as one, sharing strength, sharing love. They thrust Caliburn together, and the blade slides through his stone skin like it's cutting through clouds. In but an instant, seven times the berserker falls and seven times he dies.

She blinked suddenly, at the sudden flash. There was no denying shirou's tail in her heart anymore, she knew, if this kept happening. Every moment with him was reliving a moment from before. She shook off the confusion, and spent a few more moments studying the blade with shirou.

She was so absorbed in reverence for the sword that she did not notice shirou longingly staring into her eyes. "I need to let the sword go back now," he said.

She nodded, and she watched as the beautiful sword began to dissolve into light. As it slipped out from her grip, she felt shirou's hand envelope her own.

"What did you see," he whispered, pulling her closer.

"...Wha..." she looked confused, but did not pull away. She blushed at the close proximity.

"When you were unconscious," he continued quietly. "You saw something in you dreams. What did you see?"

They were so close now! Her heart thumped faster as her emerald eyes met his brown.

shirou had forgotten the question now - so lost in her gaze that he didn't care about his question anymore. Slowly his face descended downward to meet hers.

Their lips met.

And for a moment, all was right. shirou was happy, Artiria was happy... Until her rational mind asserted itself.

She pulled away, and slapped him. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to shock him. shirou nursed his cheek in shock, and she reddened in shame. She had wanted it, her heart had wanted it, but the kiss... She had her pride, she realized. Arturia Pendragon may have known and loved Emiya shirou, but Arturia Pendraig had only met him yesterday.

"I am sorry, shirou," she mumbled as she stood from her kneeling position and began gathering her things. She turned to him one last time, and gave him a sad smile. "I know you - but I do not _know_ you." _Yet, _she added to herself.

She left the Emiya Estate after that, not another word passing between them.

shirou watched her leave, and couldn't help but chuckle. He noticed she had taken the lion with her.

"That's just your style," he mumbled happily to himself.

* * *

Author's notes: I'm really tired of the whole amnesia thing. I don't like it, and this is the second story I've done it in. I don't want to drag this out, because it's just empty suspense building.

And yeah, the sword is Caliburn. shirou doesn't know how to trace much else (Yet).


	8. Chapter 8

Arturia didn't go to school the next day, nor the day after. The blossoming of new (or old) memories continued, and rather then suffer through them in class, she decided to let them haunt her in the privacy of her apartment instead. Cabin fever struck on her second day of absence, prompting her to wander around Fuyuki instead.

A half an hour of moving through the city only made "the Remembrance" worse. Her past experiences in Fuyuki as Saber came to her very easily now as she took in familiar surroundings of the city, and she found she couldn't help but remember her time from before. She found herself retracing steps she had taken as Saber, 'date' spots she had visited with Shirou as well as locations she had visited during the Fourth Grail War.

Much of the time she had spent in the first two Grail Wars were now available to her, freely spilling forth and immersing her brain with new knowledge. She remembered nearly everything now.

Her time as King Arthur, however... Those memories came to her with much less frequency. Only vague details and glimmers of faces hovered in the back of her mind. Slipping into her memories of Saber was easy, but her the King's memories were eluding here. She was sure the Fuyuki's familiarity was a lot to do with how quickly she was remembering it.

She stopped to admire the view ahead of her. Just across the railing, was a downed ship was jutting out of the water, brutally split into two. She couldn't quite place it, but she knew it was significant somehow.

She sighed, and began considering her past, as well as her future. She remembered Shirou clearly now, everything they've been through... Oh, Shirou...

* * *

_"I want the Holy Grail, but I will not kill _Shirou_ for it," she said firmly. Those fools...  
_

_"Do you understand you knave?" she spat angrily. "I want _Shirou_ more then such a thing."_

_"I do not need the Grail if it will soil me." _

"_I already have all that I want."_

* * *

_"Lets go," he said firmly, the steps of the Ryuudouji towering above him. He gave her a stern, confident smile. "This will be our last battle."  
_

_She returned him a stern smile of her own, though hers was tinged with a touch of sadness. Gilgamesh and Kotomine would end tonight, and she knew, even in victory, it would be the end and of her and _Shirou_ as well. _

_That selfless fool, she would miss him so. But they still had one duty they must do.  
_

* * *

_"You were my..." she echoed, reaching out to the golden light. "...You were my scabbard, right?"_

_"Its name..." she said, hearing his name echo beside her name. His voice filled her with strength.__ They reached for it together, grasping it in the same instant. _

_".. is Avalon!"_

_They golden light bathed them both, and in that moment, they were one and truly invincible._

* * *

_"I need to tell you something before I go..."_

_"..._Shirou_..."_

_"I... love you..."_

* * *

Her knees wobbled as tears leaked from here eyes. God, she wanted him so bad. What should she do?!

She punched the rail in frustration.

This new part of her, the part that was Saber, wanted to go to Shirou immediately and embrace him. That stupid selfless fool, and everything that he had sacrificed for her, the bond that they shared, and the duty she had freed him from... Saber wanted nothing else. With his help, she had moved on from her ambitions to change history. Freed from that duty, there was only one thing left in life Saber wanted: Emiya Shirou. Just him and only him.

Another part, the part that was Arturia Pendraig, didn't want anything to do with him. With these new memories, Arturia Pendraig felt threated, her old self becoming engulfed by Saber. Her plans for life were kind of boring, but at least more of a challenge then what Saber wanted. She was going to take over the family business, the Pendraig real estate Empire. She didn't plan for boys or romance, though they certainly didn't interfere with that... Still, shouldn't help but feel by perusing Shirou, she was stepping into Saber's shoes and throwing Arturia's away.

"Arg!" She lashed against the rail again. Who was she? Was she Saber? Was she Arturia? She didn't know, and she felt she couldn't move forward in her life unless she decided. She grumbled, hunkering down at the rail and continuing to watch the watery scenery in front of her.

"Nice view," a new voice beside her said. The newcomer leaned against the rails with her, joining Arturia in gazing at the wrecked ship. Arturia didn't need to look to know who it was.

"Hello, Rin," Arturia mumbled, greeting the newcomer.

"You remember me," Rin stated. She flicked her long brown hair behind her. "Shirou said as much."

"Yes," she grunted. She didn't really have patience from another "blast from her past" at the moment.

"You look down," Rin stated.

"Yes," Arturia mumbled again, wiping tears from he eyes.

"So what's the problem?"

Arturia closed her eyes as she considered the question. "I don't know."

Rin blinked, confused. "What do mean?"

"I'm..." Arturia took a deep breath before continuing. How to put her troubles into words? "With these memories... I don't know who I am. Or who I want to be. Am I Saber? Arturia Pendraig? Pendragon?"

"Well, that's your problem right there," Rin replied casually. "Those are all just different names for the same person. You shouldn't be making a distinction; you're still just you."

"I don't think that's true," Saber said, shaking her head. "As of yesterday, I've instantly lived another life very different from my own. I can't help but feel my old self washing away. Like I stopped being Arturia and started being Saber instead. And the frightening thing is, I don't know who I'd rather be."

"You be you," Rin stated simply. "I don't think it'll ever be as simple as flicking a switch to 'Saber' or 'Arturia.' And besides, 'Saber' is much more decisive then you're being right now, I think. And she never cried."

"I am plenty decisive," Arturia sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And... well... You're right... I never cried before. Still, the girl I was yesterday... Is she gone? It still feels that way."

"You just need a little time to sort things out," Rin counseled casually, dismissing Arturia's concerns. She casually patted the blond on the back and handed her a tissue. "Look at it this way: We are NEVER who we were yesterday."

"...We aren't?" Arturia asked, a bit dazed by the question. She sniffled slightly, and wiped her eyes with the tissue.

"Of course not," Rin replied, smiling. "A person is the sum of everyday they've lived."

Arturia paused for a moment to consider that. "...A sum of all my yesterdays, then? Both the King's and my own? That..." she trailed off, trying to find her words. She found herself comforted by Rin's philosophy. No, she wasn't the same girl she was yesterday, but that didn't mean she was suddenly lost herself either.

Arturia Pendraig wasn't washed away, just different now. Saber wasn't taking over her life, just becoming a part of it.

She could...

She could live with that.

"That puts me at ease," Arturia finally managed. There was a few moments of silence, both girls unsure of what to say. The cries of gulls could be heard over the low whisper of the crashing waves. Arturia continued to glare at the downed ship a head of her, when a flash of realization hit.

"I cut that boat in half," Arturia said suddenly, finally realizing the significance of the ship. She had destroyed it during the Fourth Grail War.

"Amazing," Rin replied, her tone bored and completely unimpressed. "Could you still do that?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't have a sword..." Arturia answered quickly. She closed her eyes, trying to remember those ancient days. Excalibur... Bedivere had thrown it back to the Lady. And the way her strength flowed through her... Mana and power crackling inside her, obeying her every whim... She was powerful then, but now she was mortal. Normal. She had no need for it anymore, anyways.

"I have to head for home." Rin said, pulling herself from the rail. "One last thing. Remember, you're in a place, surrounded by things from Saber's life. You, as Ms. Pendraig, have no life here to speak of."

Arturia considered those words, and looked down, feeling a bit hurt by them.

"Ah, I didn't mean it that way!" Rin blushed, noting Arturia's hurt expression.. "I mean, if you want to get in touch with the 'girl you where yesterday,' you should call home or something. Talk to your family or friends." Rin casually shrugged as she picked her school bag from the ground, and began marching away.

"Remember what I said," she called over her shoulder. "Oh! And don't make Shirou wait too long! He's hurting too!"

"Later, Arturia-chan!"

* * *

Call home... Family, friends... She wasn't sure, but Rin's plan seemed like a good one. She had finally made it back to the apartment after an eternity of wandering and considering Rin's words. She had a huge nap, and it was very late now. Late enough to call Britain... To call home.

She needed to, she realized. Especially now, more then ever, she needed to hear her mother's voice.

She couldn't... Could she? Grandfather wouldn't approve, and the staff might not even connect her.

She sighed... But it was worth risking.

Making her decision, she dove for her phone and quickly dialed the operator. This was going to be long distance...

* * *

"Hello, Ms. Larissa. It's Arturia... I was wondering..." Arturia began, clutching the reciever "... I was wondering, if perhaps, my mother... Yes. Is she lucid enough to speak?"

"Yes, I understand," Arturia replied again. "I know not to mention him, but please, I just need to hear from her. Could you? Thank you!"

She clutched the receiver in her hand tightly, nervously chewing on a bang of hair. Her eyes wandered nervously, waiting for the reply on the other end.

"Yes, yes, hello, Mother!"

"Yes, it's Arturia! It's good to hear your voice, I've missed you!"

"Um... I've only been here for a fews days or so..." she began, and was cut off suddenly with a new question. "Uh... yes, I have started making friends."

"They're... they're very good people," Arturia answered awkwardly, thinking of the friends she made - the ones she didn't even know she had. Shirou, Ilya, Taiga, Rin... She smiled lightly. "You'd like them,"

"Yes, I do. I like them very much," Arturia replied, chuckling.

She began to tell her mother of them - of her "new" friends. A pang of joy blossomed in her heart as she spoke to her mother of her new old friends. In that moment, Arturia Pendraig met Saber for the first time.

Though still strange to each other, the two woman her memories had split her into were no longer strangers. They shared the same smile, and hesitantly, continued down the same path together.

* * *

Author's notes: This was a tough chapter to write, but it was mostly for my benefit. You see, I wrote myself into a corner. Saber is a defined character, with a defined history. Arturia Pendraig is not, and I have to define her history on my own. I've been having a fun time doing that, and I really like the reborn Arturia! When I set out, what I wanted to write was a continuation of Shirou and Saber's romance. She'd remember she was Saber, and I'd throw out Arturia's character and write Saber instead. The more I wrote, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that wasn't right. Or natural. So I though, maybe I'd just keep running with Arturia. She'd just be her and no Saber. And I realized that wasn't right, either, because for the plot to go where I want it too, I still needed Saber. I needed her to be both.

So that brings me to my current predicament. I have a good sense on how to write Saber and Arturia separately, but writing them together as the same person? That shit be hard! I needed to demonstrate she's still Saber and still Arturia at the same time for the her character to work in my head. It was easier then I thought. It works for me now, and i hope it works for you too.

Anyways, about one or two more chapters before this Act ends. Maybe three.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Shirou groaned as sunlight peaked through his bedroom. He pulled himself awkwardly from his futon, as the same thoughts and feelings that plagued him every morning the last few days began to bubble to the surface.

Saber.

They had something special, something that transcended the here and now, and now she was back again some how and she sort of remembered but the memories were scaring her and he had ruined it because he was stupid and dumb and depressed and desperate and all he wanted was to be happy again and had tried to kiss her.

He resisted the urge to bang his head against the wall.

Well, at least this way there was closure. An awkward and fumbled kiss was easier to walk away from then trading confessions of love with each other before one of them dissolved forever into a mist of bright light, never to be seen again.

At least, he hoped it'd be easier... He wasn't so sure anymore.

He sluggishly prepared himself for school in the morning, not doing anything more then dressing himself and preparing his books for the day. Sakura wasn't here to prepare any food. She wasn't even talking to him.

He didn't feel like eating anyways.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

He jumped. Who could tha be? Rin, Sakura, and Fuji-nee never knocked anymore, and just let themselves in. He sighed, tiredly shambling towards the front entrance. He opened the door, to find someone he did expect.

It was...Saber. Or Arturia, rather.

And she wasn't dressed for school. Rather, she was wearing a brown, long-sleeved, shoulder-less shirt and a short, pleated skirt of the same color. He had to focus in order to avoid admiring her thighs. She was blushing. She looked so... Cute. And vulnerable.

"...Hi..." he offered, awkwardly.

She looked uncertain, slightly blushing, and then her eyes narrowed. Her vulnerability vanished and was replaced with fiery determination.

"I will be spending the day with you," she announced sternly.

"Well..." he breathed, trying best to not eye up her legs. The day with him? Did she have a change of heart? "...We have class today," he offered awkwardly.

"Lets skip," she replied flippantly, flopping herself down on to his porch. "It's Saturday."

Shirou frowned. While he was happy to see her change of heart after brushing him off a few nights ago, going to class was important. "We still have class on Saturday."

"In Britain, class isn't held on Saturday," she stated. She had braced herself for the intense Japanese school hours before she arrived, but that didn't quite prepare her for the real thing. She had already missed a few days worth of class due to 'illness' anyways, so what was one more? In the back of her head she was regretting the neglect of her studies, but the part of her that was Saber was just about ready to blow off school for good.

"Well, this isn't Britian. And you've already missed a half week of classes," Shirou said sharply. He sighed inwardly, annoyed with himself. Why did he have to be such a boy scout?

"Mmmm," she pouted. She pulled herself of the porch steps and wrapped her arms around him in a light embrace. Shirou froze almost immediately. "So you don't wish to spend the day with me?" she whispered into his ear.

"I didn't say that..." he whispered back. He tried to compose himself, but the blush in his face was quickly running his way down to his toes. He really needed to go to class. There was an exam today...

"Even for a date?" she cooed in his ear. His resolve crumbled a bit more.

"Well..." his heart sped up. She was acting strangely... Was she playing with him?

"Even during the Grail War you were more focused on school," she sighed, releasing him from her embrace and flopping back down to the steps, clearly annoyed.

"Well, school... Wait! You remember the Grail War?" he asked, shocked. He sat down beside her, immediately interested.

She looked at him coyly, before smiling. "I remember many things now, Shirou..."

"So..." he trailed off, before blushing. His heart skipped a beat... Did she remember when they...?

"Shirou. I've spent the last few days agonizing over these new memories," she explained, taking his hands in her own. "Please, indulge me this one more day," she pleaded, before smiling. Hope shined in her eyes. "Let's get... re-acquainted."

He was unsure. On one hand, Saber... On the other hand... The last of his will dissolved when she leaned forward and pecked him lightly on the cheek.

"Heh, I don't need convincing. Lets do it!" he cheered.

* * *

"You didn't like the movie?" Shirou asked, disappointed as they left theater. They had seen one of those Chinese martial arts flicks, though he didn't give it much attention. He was paying too much attention to her, anyhow.

"No," she replied sadly. "The last time we did this together... Well, I'm afraid the luster and awe of the wonders of the modern age have since evaporated for me."

"I didn't think of that," he replied. "I guess everything seemed fresh when you were Saber..."

"Back in the Grail War, I was so naive," she agreed. "Can you imagine, Shirou? Everything about the world was new and amazing to me. I miss that feeling..." She sighed, wistfully.

Shirou chuckled at that. "You know, you're making this date lot harder for me. If you were so easy to impress back then..."

She laughed, placing her hands into his, their eyes meeting. "You didn't need to impress me anymore, Shirou..."

They leaned closer, closer...

"Oh! Look! Sushi!" she squealed in delight, spotting a restaurant over Shirou's shoulder. She began to quickly drag him towards it. "Lets go eat!"

"Uh!" Shirou moaned slightly as she nearly pulled his arm from the socket. "Okay - Okay, wait up!'

* * *

Dressed in a hooded swear shirt and sunglasses, his appearance was obscured. He shadowed Shirou's and Arturia's steps, watching them enter the sushi restaurant from afar. When they left his view, he leaned against a lamp post and pulled a cellpone from his pocket and placed it to his ear.

"HQ, Target has entered the restaurant, still traveling with the teenage male," he reported hoarsely into his cellphone.

"Roger. GPS is online and tracking your position" a voice on the other end acknowledged. "What's the status on the Sons of Dawn?"

"They're not active, as far as I can tell," the stranger replied. "I don't think they're aware we're operating within their borders just yet."

"Good, lets keep it that way," the other voice cautioned."Keep following them. You'll receive further orders shortly."

"Roger. Operative out."

* * *

"This isn't a California roll," Arturia mumbled in English, as she dipped the offending roll into a mix of wasabi and soy unhappily.

"Hmm?" Shirou asked, only vaguely understanding her when she spoke English. "Is the roll not good?"

"Oh, no, it's fine," she managed awkwardly, popping the ball of rice into her mouth. "It's just... This is an avocado roll, not a California roll. " Indeed, the roll lacked the typical crab and mayonnaise that she was used to.

"I think it's different overseas?" he said, unsure. He paused for a moment, before popping a slice of raw tuna into his mouth. "It's hard to find places that serve California rolls at all in Japan - and when a place does, it usually just means any roll with avocado."

"Oh," Arturia managed, slightly embarrassed. Before she could say anything, Shirou stopped the waitress and ordered some 'Western-style California rolls.'

Arturia couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed at that. Here she was learning and living in Japan, sulking that she couldn't get Westernized sushi when the real deal was right in front of her. She felt a bit spoiled. "You didn't need to do that, Shirouu."

"Nah, it's fine," Shirou responded, letting the issue slide. He snapped another mouthful of fish with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. "Is sushi popular in Britain?"

"It is," Arturia said, playing with her chopsticks. She poked the raw fish apprehensively with the stick "It's a little different there, though. More focus on rolls, and less on the raw fish."

"Well, I guess that's to be expected," he said smiling. He "Japan probably has " Well, if they did, he'd never heard it. It was mostly American food.

"British food is terrible, Shirou." Arturia replied. "I vastly prefer Japanese. Have you ever heard of black pudding?"

"No, what is it?" Shirou asked, curiously.

"It's called blood sausage elswhere, and that's exactly what it is - hardened blood. Part of a traditional English breakfast."

"Well... that is..." he stopped, not wanting to finish the sentence. Blood Sausage? Seriously?

"Barabaric?" she offered, finishing for him. She sullenly dropped the the sashimi she was toying with into the soy, swishing the raw fish around the mix of soy and wasabi. "Some would say the same of raw fish." At that, she snapped the chunk of sashimi into her sticks, and quickly popped it into her mouth. She chewed it experimentally, before swallowing. "Mmm! It's good!"

"Was that your first time trying sashimi?" Shirou asked quizzically.

She shook her head, quickly snapping up another. "No - I just have to work myself up before I start eating the raw stuff. It's good, though. The fish is fresher then home."

They continued to chat and laugh through out the meal. They spoke little of what happened before, and focused on the present. Shirou continued to learn about Arturia - the girl Saber was today. She remained tight lipped about her family (which upset him deep down - he had hoped they were past secrets), but he did learn of her past. He learned she grew up in London, and attended private school there.

It was obviously that her background was very wealthy, with business ties in Japan. He was disturbed to learn that she was last in Japan a year ago, for the grand opening of her Grandfather's hotel. When they were busy fighting the Grail War in Fuyuki, she was peacefully staying. From his lessons with Rin, he knew the Throne of Heroes existed above the flow of time, but it still bothered him she was in two places at once.

What disturbed him more, however, was the name of the hotel that opened - the Pendraig family - ever so close to Pendragon, the family had opened the _Avalon Hotel. _The Avalon Hotel. In the heart of Japan.

"Avalon Hotel," he repeated. He frowned, Rin's previous warnings echoing in his head. Something was at work here. "That can't be a coincidence."

"Maybe..." Arturia shrugged. She noticed the worry in Shirou's eyes , and took his hand in comfort. "Don't be concerned - my Grandfather is in love with Arthurian myth." That felt strange she thought - referring to a history so real to her in third person, as it was a myth that never really happened. She chuckled. "Our family name being Pendraig went straight to his head - it was an intentional name."

The worry vanished from Shirou's eyes, and he let the thought comfort him. Just the work of a silly old man liking his name a little too much.

Once her tale was done, he began with his own. He began to outline the events of the last year, the magecraft he had learned with Rin, and some new tricks of his own. She listened with interest, learning about the man he had become after the war had shaped him so.

He talked of Ilya, Sakura, Taiga, and Rin, and what their goings-ons of the past year. She was surprised to learn that Rin and Sakura were actually sisters, and that it was originally Sakura who had summoned Rider. She was learning Magecraft from Rin as well.

Eventually they finished eating, and it was time to pay their bill and leave.

"Shall we move along?" he asked holding out his hand to her.

"We shall," she replied, happily placing her hand into his own.

* * *

"HQ, they've left the restaurant. Do I have further orders?" the stranger asked, watching the couple leave the Sushi restaurant.

"Keep following them, but keep your distance," the voice ordered. "One of the Twelve will be stepping in personally to handle the arrest."

"...What? What for?" the stranger asked, completely baffled. They were only two kids, and was no need for that sort of fire power... "The are just a pair of children. I can apprehend the target myself."

"No. Intel just came on the kid she's with - he's something else," the voice explained. "It may seem like much, but the Seven don't want to take chances with this one. Your job for now is to keep the target in sight. HQ out."

The man tightened the strings on his hood and adjusted his sunglasses before letting out a heavy sigh. One of the Twelve acting personally... This was bad. He looked out at the street, noting the pleasant weather and scenery of the afternoon. That subtle beauty was about to be snuffed out very quickly - a member of the Twelve would be like smoke signal to make the Sons of the Dawn come running. This whole area was about to turn into a war zone very quickly.

_To be continued..._

* * *

Author's note: Man, I've been sitting on this chapter for too long, when all it needed was a few finishing touches.

That was sort of fun, writing a date chapter. I was going to make this chap another fest of deliberation and procrastinating, but I think we've all had our fill of that. Maybe I'm moving things a long to quickly, but whatever.

_Next Time: The Alliance of the Three Heavens, and the Will of the Wisp!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Waking - Chapter 10**

"That was good," Arturia said, relishing the taste of the sushi. They had left the restaurant, and were wandering the streets again. The sidewalks were strangely deserted, with only a few pedestrians and cars on the road.

"What do you want to do next?" Shirou asked. He was having a lot of fun the date, and didn't want it to end just yet.

"Hmmm... Shopping. Perhaps a new shirt? You need a new shirt, Shirou," Arturia chimed. "Let me buy you a new shirt."

"I like this shirt," Shirou protested. He liked the blue and white. "How about..." he started, but stopped as Arturia brutally grabbed his arm.

"Shirou..." she began, as four people began to approach them. She had a bad feeling.

They were four of them, all tall and wearing dark business suits and sunglasses. They were Caucasian and Shirou wondered if they were lost tourists or on a business trip or something. They stopped suddenly, in front of the teens, bl"ocking their way. "Can I help you?" Shirou asked politely and hesitantly. He repeated the question in his awkward English, just to be sure.

"This way, lets go," one of the foreigners replied, as the four of them began to crowd around the two. They began to push, lightly forcing the two teens off the sidewalk and towards one of the buildings.

"Hey! What are you doing!" Shirou demanded. He didn't want to fight, but he didn't like where this was going. The four men ignored the question, and continued to crowd them, forcing them back from the side walk and herding them towards the mouth of an alley a little ways away.

"Come with us, Sir, Madam!" one said in Japanese. Shirou could barely understand him with his poor accent. They continued to crowd the two teenagers, simply becoming a moving wall that kept moving forward. It wasn't long before they had forced the two into an alley, outside of the view of the rest of society.

"Let us go!" Arturia growled, shoving one of as hard as she could. It was fruitless, as the man was much taller man simply advanced forwards, causing her to push herself deeper into the alley. She, stumbled, and spun backwards before falling on her knees. She lifted herself up, and couldn't happen to notice a woman standing at the back of the alley. Like her and the four men, she was Caucasian and obviously not Japanese. She was dressed simply and professionally in a navy business suit, and was very beautiful with long golden hair. She was watching the scene calmly and made no move to interfere. She appeared to be... waiting?

"Apprehend them," the strange woman ordered, so sharp and direct Shirou and Arturia flinched. The four men in suits formed up on the teens, one of them grabbing Shirou by the shoulder. Shirou growled, and punched the offender in mouth. The foreigner grinned, calmly wiped his cheek, and rewarded the boy with a kick to the chest.

"Shirou!" Arturia cried out, as the boy was driven back to the course alley wall. She hurled her hand bag at the attacker's face, and it bounced off of him harmlessly. She used the momentary distraction to reach behind her and draw her... her... she was looking for... something! Something to fight with! A sword! Realizing she had none, she suddenly felt both foolish and naked.

She clutched Shirou's arm tighter as the attacking man took another step forward. The attacker grinned, and stuck his hand into his jacket pocket, producing a gun. Arturia bit her lip fearfully, and Shirou's eyes widened. He had let this go too far.

"Trace..." Shirou began, whispering through his own clenched teeth. He removed himself from Arturia's embrace, and held out his hand's as if he was holding an imaginary sword. "...on!"

As he said those words, a sheeny steel katana shimmered to life in his hands, and in but an instant, the blade flashed through the air. Blood streaked and sparks flew, the severed barrel of the pistol fell to ground, coated with flecks of blood.

"ARGH!" the man cried pitifully, falling to his knees and clutching himself. A long scarlet wound traveled from the top of his shoulder down to his breast, with blood staining through the jacket of his suit. He dropped the severed pistol, and clutched his wounded side. "You little punk!" he howled in English.

The other three men recoiled as their comrade was struck, reaching into their jackets for what Shirou assumed were their own weapons. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman behind him simply sigh in exasperation, looking bored. "Enough of this," she said. She only took a steps forward before Shirou was on her like lightning. He whirled around, the katana singing through the air once more and poised to lop off her head.

It struck.

It shattered.

The sorcery holding the sword together was snuffed out, and fell like pieces of glass from Shirou's hands before dissolving into nothing. His target, the terrible golden-haired beauty, didn't even flinch. She was unmarred, with her eerie confident smile shaking him to the core.

He was unarmed now, his weapon gone. The three men had their guns out now all trained him, and he didn't think he'd have another chance to make a new blade before they opened fire.

"Hold, My Good Captains, stow your weapons" the woman ordered, motioning them to stop. "We are not savages; diplomacy is not above us."

" But my lady..." one of the gunmen began, stuttering in defiance.

"Silence," she demanded, causing the gunman to cringe. They obeyed, and replaced their weapons from their hands to their jackets. She turned back to Shirou. "Mageling. We did not come for you. This is not your battle, and you may walk away." When Shirou said nothing, moved no muscle, and simply glared at her flippantly, her harsh gaze moved past him to Arturia instead. "Arthur Pendragon. We have been looking for your soul for centuries. To find you here and now, living in the flesh and blood, and the Isles of Japan, of all places... This is disconcerting. You were not, and will never be, authorized for reincarnation."

"What?" Arturia asked, not quite understanding. The dream in the forest echoed back to her, the one where she had met... Merlin. She thought back harder, shades of memories dancing in her head. They had gone somewhere after that, she and Merlin... And they had done something, as well. She couldn't remember anymore than that.

Whatever they did, is that why she was back here, living life again? "I don't understand."

"The King of Knights is too important to be allowed free reign in the realm of the living," the woman imperiously declared. "By your actions, you have broken the natural order of things, violated the Throne of Heroes, and endangered the Ragnarok Protocols! By the authority granted to me, I am placing you under arrest. Your soul shall return to Avalon with me immediately."

"No!" Arturia growled (almost screamed), instantly repulsed by the last of the woman's words. She refused to return to that desolated waste... It was only a dream to her now, a barely remembered shade of a memory, but she remembered enough to know she would never go back to Avalon willingly.

She would resist. She needed a sword. A blade, any blade. Her body certainly wished to hold one right now, so maybe it would remember how to swing one.

"Arturia..." Shirou breathed softly, baffled and angry. He placed himself between the two woman. After so long, he was not about to lose Saber a second time.

"Arthur, come peacefully," the strange woman pleaded, looking past Shirou. "If not for me, do it for your friend here. I will kill him as well as you, if forced."

"Kill her?!" Shirou roared in outrage. He barely registered the woman's threat on his own life. "I won't let you!"

The strange woman laughed boisterously. "And how else do you propose I leave with her soul? There is only one option here, boy."

"You won't," Shirou repeated, defiant. No. He wouldn't allow her to leave, not again when she was finally back. Whoever or whatever this person was, he'd resist it with all the power and sorceries he had at his disposal.

"Think about it," she said, coldly looking past Shirou and speaking to Arturia once more. "I _WILL _kill you. Whether the boy dies as well is up to you."

Arturia looked down to the pavement, unsure. She felt the question was being asked to Saber, the girl from before, and couldn't really answer. He life was in the present, and she couldn't turn her back on it. Her gaze turned to Shirou, who was glaring defiantly at the witch before them. She couldn't turn her back on him, either.

Could she resist this stranger? Shirou's blade had shattered easily against this witch, and as much as she hated to admit it, she had no way of fighting back. She had no sword, and any blade that Shirou could make, could not be swung by any hand but his own.

She had no mana of her own to wield, either. She remembered what she did during the War of the Grail, but she didn't remember how. And she couldn't forget the men with guns behind them, either.

Being a regular mortal girl was not looking as good now as it did when she woke up in the morning.

She looked to Shirou, feeling ashamed and selfish for wishing to stay. Unable to battle, Shirou would have to fight for her. And what if he lost? She could not bear the thought, the guilt...

"Don't you dare think that way," Shirou growled, reading her expression. He placed his hand tight into her own. "We've faced much worse then this. Don't we deserve to be happy for once?"

She looked up to him hesitantly, their gazes meeting. Oh how she wanted to...

"Don't worry," he smiled, winking at her. "I've gotten a lot stronger since then."

That confident wink pushed her over the edge. She had to have faith in him, or what they had wasn't worth anything. Her eyes hardened, and she returned his squeeze with one of her own, nodding in acknowledgment. "Yes."

"You are making a mistake, Arthur," the woman warned as she watched their exchange.

"My name is not Arthur!" Arturia roared. "It never was! Not then, and not now!"

"It's Arturia!" She took a step forward, so her and Shirou were side by side, their hands linked. "And I'm not going with you! Not ever!"

"That's good," Shirou agreed, "because I wasn't going to let you anyway." He took a quick glance at the gunman, noting that they still had their guns stowed back into their jackets, giving him a small window of opportunity.

He channeled all the mana he could muster to his free hand. With one hand gripping on to Arturia's hand tight, he slammed the other to the ground in front of him. "Trace on!" Almost instantly, six, plain broad swords shimmered into existence in a circle around them both. They stood with their tips jutting into the pavement, crackling with mana and vibrating intensely. "Six Shattered Stars," he announced.

The gunman, spooked by this display, were quickly drawing their guns again. Almost causally, Shirou shot his arm in their direction and gave his fingers a simple snap. The closest sword exploded, red light filling the alley with a loud bang. The gunmen tumbled to the ground, stunned and shaken, but otherwise unharmed.

"That was a just a little one," Shirou threatened. " A warning shot. If anyone tries anything stupid... BOOM!" He flinged his arms wide to demonstrate. The red glow around the five remaining blades crackled, and the swords continued to shake and vibrate unstably. He glared at the woman as he addressed her. "I don't know what you are, or what's going on, but you will not lay a finger on Arturia. Ever."

"A bold claim," the stranger stated, quirking an eyebrow in amusement. "I'm afraid you are mistaken in believing that these toys, these Broken Phantasm, could ever harm me."

"Maybe," Shirou grinned. "But I don't think the same can be said for your men," he jabbed his thumb at men sprawled on the ground, scrambling to pull themselves to their feet. "They seem to bleed quite well. I'll turn them to goo if you don't walk away right now."

"They do bleed well, don't they?" she growled, irritated. "Why do this, boy? You will die."

"I love her," he said as he smiled the most honest smile he had worn in over a year. "I am not letting anyone take her away again. Walk Away."

Arturia was left speechless at his words. The familiar joy of the situation was overwhelming. Staring down the face of danger, with the one she loved by her side. She only wished Excalibur was in her hands.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, mageling" the beauty sighed, closing her eyes. "Prepare yourself."

The strange woman slowly lifted her hand, stretching it out and opened her palm as if she was offering something. Slowly, a pale white light began to pulse inside her palm. The light began to brighten and thicken, until, suddenly, the faint spark burst forth and illuminated the alley with a brilliant white light. Shirou and Arturia, almost instantly blinded, shielded their faces with their arms, hiding from the intense glow.

That light continued to grow stronger, growing warmer and warmer like a hot summer day. In a few moments, everything and anything around the teens was engulfed.

"What?" Shirou mumbled, clearing his eyes as his sight began to return. It was still very bright out, but not blindingly so.

"Where are we?" Arturia asked. She pulled herself and Shirou from the ground, noting they were no longer lying on the hard alley pavement, but on terrain that was sandy and course. The world above them was immensely bright, and it was hard to see the blue of the sky past it.

The gunmen were gone, and they were still surrounded (and protected, she hoped) by Shirou's circle of swords. The empty alley was gone, too... Heck, all of Fuyuki was gone. In it's place, they were surrounded by polished, white marble pillars, and high towering walls that all sparkled in the warm and bright light. Ascending rows of empty, white-marble benches towered upwards around them.

Arturia was reminded of pictures she'd seen drawn of the Coliseum of ancient Rome. It was an arena, they both realized.

"What the hell?" Shirou growled, looking to the sky. Arturia looked too, and they both saw her. The women, the stranger from before, was hovering twenty feet in the air above him.

She no longer looked human, however. Immense rainbow-colored wings were erupting from her back, shimmering like polished steel, occasionally tensing and flapping lightly. She was wearing strange armor, with long metal chains hanging off of her and rattling in the light breeze like wind chimes. She was basking in the intense light, an expression of pure bliss graced on her face.

"Where are we?" Shirou demanded loudy, his eyes blinking rapidly in the bright light.

"Judicium Caelestis," the angelic one proclaimed, smiling serenely."This is your judgment, mortals."

* * *

"Have to hurry!" he growled, as he pulled himself up the stair's of the roof. He had played it too cautious, hung back too far... Gave too much room for the Alliance of the Three Heavens to act. And now his King would pay that price.

He wiped the sweat from his pasty white brow and continued to climb until he reached the roof.

Everything about him was white. His clothes consisted of a white sports jacket, a white button-up shirt, and a pair of white slacks. Obviously a foreigner to Japan, his skin was pale and pasty and his long, shoulder-length hair was so blond that it was almost as white as the rest of him. He was slender, and almost feminine in his demeanor.

The Man-in-White leaned over the edge of the roof, and glanced downward. Only seven stories below, four Alliance henchmen stood in the alley. All dressed in black, all armed (handguns, he surmised), and protecting the mouth of the alley. One of the agents was injured, nursing a hastily bandaged shoulder wound. From his vantage, the damage looked like it could have been done with a blade. Could Arthur, have done that? Or was it her... companion (he could not bear to think of Shirou as anything else)? Her friend was supposed to possess some strange talent with swords.

And past the agents, towards the back of the alley, lay a bright shimmering mist. It was barely noticeable, just a shimmer of colors in the air, like a list mist of rain refracting the light on a warm, spring day. He knew he was only observing it from the outside, though, and that something deeper and more terrible existed within. He had watched from his binoculars, three roof tops away on the other side of the street, watched as that damnable Witch had trapped Arthur and her friend inside. He knew what it was that bitch had used.

A Reality Marble.

He turned away from the ledge and began to pace impatiently and angrily. Where was his back up? Five minutes had passed since the Marble went up and Will, Leon, and Jack were nowhere to be seen. It took all his willpower to not just start shooting from here.

He sighed. Even if the agents didn't kill him, he still had no way of entering the Reality Marble. Will was supposed to have some skill in that, but he was nowhere to be found. Leon and Jack were only arriving in Japan today, and that left him and Will as the only agents currently living in the country. If the fool lived here, too, where was he?

"Hey, Betty," a voice whispered behind him in English, advancing towards White from behind. "I'm here,"

The Man-in-White whirled around to face the voice behind him, reaching into his jacket and gripped his 9mm. Sense intervened as he turned, recognizing the newcomer's face from the photograph he was given. He wisely left his firearm where it lay in his holster, and brought his hand out in an offered hand shake instead. '_Sneaky son-of-a-bitch,' _he thought to himself.

The newcomer strode forward confidently with a wolfish grin emblazoned on his face as he gripped the Man-in-White's hand and returned the hand shake. Also foreign to Japan in his appearance, the newcomer stood taller and bulkier then the Man-in-White. He wore a pair of navy-blue sweat pants, a simple white t-shirt, some worn, old running shoes. A light leather jacket betrayed the rest of his casual fashion. He was well groomed, with short well-trimmed brown hair. His long sideburns traveled down his strong, square jawline to meet under the chin, giving him a beard that resembled a chinstrap of a helmet. Like the Man-in-White, he appeared to be young, perhaps in his mid-twenties.

"Will! Finally! What took you? Do you know where Leon and Jack are?" the Man-in-White growled impatiently, as he shook the Will's hand. The isles of Britain highlighted his accent. As an after thought, he viciously added "and don't call me Betty!"

"Then don't call me Will. I haven't used that name in forever," the newcomer sneered, his accent more western and Americanized then the Man-in-White's.

'Betty' looked taken aback for a moment, and then nodded. "My apologies. I had forgotten, these are new lives and times for both of us. If not Will, what shall I call you?" he asked, seeming to have forgotten the newcomer had called him 'Betty' first.

The other man looked thoughtful a moment, scratching the scruff of his chin before responding. "Call me Wisp. It'll do for now."

"Very well, Wisp it is," agreed the White gentlemen with a nod. His face hardened, his glower growing more serious. "Where are Jack and Leon?"

Wisp crossed his arms and growled. "Leon is wrapped up in customs still," he began. He took a deep breath before "and Jack, that son of a bitch, has ignored the summons. I'm the only backup you're getting."

"He has..." the Man-in-White began, his words dissolving into a low hiss. He wanted to scream, but stifled the desire. "Damn your brother. He spits on the Gift."

"He stopped being a brother to me a long time ago," Wisp replied harshly. He glanced down below to the alley. "Forget 'im. Gimme' a sitrep."

"Very well," the white man growled, putting his displeasure aside before turning to the business below. "I followed Arthur and her... _**friend**_ here. They were being followed, and unfortunately I acted too late. They had an encounter with a Divine Spirit".

Wisp winced at those last two words, but remained silent.

The white man gestured down at to the armed guards below. "The meeting turned violent, and one of the guards was injured. Do you see that shimmering at the back?" White asked. He left Wisp no chance to respond, and continued immediately. "A Reality Marble. It swallowed the three of them whole: the Spirit, Arthur, and her companion."

"Not a Reality Marble," Wisp disagreed, shaking his head thoughtfully, as he examined the shimmering below them. "That's a mage thing. A Divine Spirit would use a Marble Phantasm..." He grinned wolfishly, before continuing. "Same idea, basically, but I'm told there's a difference."

"Hmm," the man-in-white mumbled. "Well, regardless, I believe they're still inside. I'm also told you are the able to deal with such things."

Wisp nodded. "I have something that we can try... But..." he began to say, before trailing off. "I've never put it into practice."

"Never?" White glowered.

"Never had the opportunity," Wisp shrugged. "It should work... In theory."

"We have no other options," the Man-in-White replied thoughtfully, scratching his smooth chin. "In any case, we need to take care of the Spirit's human agents, first," White explained. He gestured down to the gunmen watching the alley below. "They're fools. The agents seem to be more concerned at keeping the mundane out, and are simply intimidating passersby away from the alley. It has not occurred to them to look up"

Wisp's wolfish grin widened, becoming predatory. "Mortal men, guarding the gates to Olympus, then?"

The Man-in-White nodded, quickly pulling his 9mm pistol from his jacket. He spent a moment looking over it, before screwing a long, black tube into the barrel. A silencer, Wisp realized.

"Are you armed?" the Man-in-White asked. Wisp had produced no weapon of his own, and just stood idly watching the Man-in-White ready his. He was not about to head down there with just one gun between them both. "Are you armed?" the White clad man repeated.

"I have two of them, don't I?" Wisp chuckled, holding up his fists. The Man-in-White's eyes narrowed, gazing at the other man like he was crazy.

"You're joking?" the Man-in-White asked, incredulous.

"No," Wisp frowned. "I'm not."

"You're being ridiculous," the Man-in-White scoffed. "I do not have time for foolishness, and I need to rescue my King. Do you have a gun or not?"

Wisp's eyes narrowed, and he glared hard at the Man-in-White. The Man-in-White felt his skin prickle, like he was gazing into the maw of a hungry wolf. The White One stood silent, not quite sure what to say. Wisp broke his glare, flashed a fang-like grin, and turned to the ledge. Then, almost casually, he stepped off the roof and dropped into the alley seven stories below.

"Hey, wait!" the Man-in-White called rushing forward to stop him. It was too late, however, and he couldn't help but watch Wisp plummet.

* * *

The Man-in-White scrambled down the fire escape almost tripping on his face as he chased after his supposed 'backup.' _That stupid fool, is he trying to commit suicide?_ He'd have to hurry now, he would only have a few moments of surprise, and the very best he could hope from Wisp now was for the fool to land on the gunmen as he plummeted to his death.

He looked down, hoping to find Wisp's corpse had crashed three of them.

It was much to the Man-in-White's dismay, Wisp was NOT falling to his death. Rather, he was... treading down the wall, kicking his feet against it every half-dozen feet to slow his momentum. He was only half way down to the street!

"HEY!" one of the guards below gasped. One of the agents had spotted the strange sight, and had pulled his gun. He waved it wildly at Wisp, and began to fire.

TWIT. TWIT. TWIT. 9mm, silenced shots, just like he was carrying, the Man-in-White realized.

Wisp was no longer where the gunman was shooting, however. Instants before the gunman had even started firing, Wisp had kicked off of the wall he was treading down. The shots missed, and the dark-haired acrobat sailed clear across the alley towards the opposite wall. He dropped another six feet, producing a loud crash as he struck the fire escape, his hands gripping the outside of the railing. An instant later, he swung himself over the railing below him and back inside to the fire escape.

All the agents were alerted to his presence now, all training their guns on him. Not anxious to stay in one spot and be shot at, the dark haired acrobat dove from the fire escape and sailed down another dozen feet to the alley below. He met the street rolling, using the momentum to carry him to cover, nestled safely behind the heavy steel of a garbage dumpster.

The agents immediately opened fire, pummeling the steel box with their silenced bullets.

PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING PING!

The bullets bounced loudly off the heavy metal, and ricocheted throughout the alley. The Man-in-White grit his teeth, as one whizzed past his ear. "Bloody fools..." he mumbled. With any luck they'd kill themselves with their own shots.

"Stop firing! Stop firing!" one of the agents yelled, common sense prevailing. "You'll get us too!"

There was a few moments of silence. The Man-in-White had stopped scaling the noisy fire escape, afraid to move lest he be noticed and become a target. The gunman were more concerned with Wisp, and from his vantage he could see the henchmen with their pistols facing down the dumpster in a bizarre Mexican stand off.

The silence didn't last long, as the dumpster exploded forwards, leaping forward in to the air like it was kicked by a giant. The empty dumpster somersaulted impossibly, scattering the terrified agents as it descended. One of the gunmen, the one with the injured shoulder, stumbled backwards to terror, crying out fearfully as the giant green coffin landed atop him with a loud metal...

CLANG!

_'Did Wisp... Did Wisp throw that?'_ the Man-in-White wondered incredulously. He pushed aside his disbelief, and began making his way down to the street level again, while the gunmen were distracted.

Wisp was on the remaining agents like a wild fire. The first one to meet him was kicked brutally and decisively in the stomach, instantly launching him back six feet. The agent fell on his back, before curling into the fetal position, clutching his injured gutt. Wisp expertly followed up with a third agent, striking the dark suited man in the jaw with his palm, producing a sickening crack as it shattered. He gripped the same man by the head, and clonked the man's skull swiftly into the steel side of the dumpster. The man crumpled in Wisp's grip, before being dropped to the pavement.

"Three down!" Wisp counted aloud. He whirled around to deal with the last of the Alliance gunman...

...Only to find a pistol trained inches away from his head.

"You're... You're not the Dawn..." the dark-suited henchmen whispered, gazing hard and fearfully at Wisp. The man was shaking. Wisp kept his silence, his eyes steely and cold, simply glaring at the agent. The Man-in-White watched horrified from his vantage. The shaking began to subside as the gunman found his courage, and his finger began to tighten around the trigger...

This was it, the Man-in-White realized. From this angle he could, maybe... He had no choice, it was now or never. He leaned out from the fire escape, steadied the aim of his gun, and pulled the trigger.

TWIT!

The agent's pistol flew from his hand, smashing against the cold pavement, and the Man-in-White could barely contain his grin. He continued down the last flight of the fire escape, happy to have one obstacle out of the way.

The agent stared at his empty hand in abject terror. Wisp grinned, and casually smacked him in the jaw, crumpling him like paper.

"Hey!" a muffled and metallic voice cowered, causing the the Man-in-White to flinch as he hopped off the fire escape. It was then he realized the gunman struck by the dumpster wasn't crushed; the metal coffin had overturned in the air and struck the agent with the open top rather then the metal bottom, trapping him inside. "Let me out!"

Wisp simply responded by pounding the side of the dumpster a sharp punch. A loud, reverberating metal hum was heard, followed by squeal of pain from the occupant inside. "My ears!"

Wisp struck it again, with similar results. Two large dents were left in the dumpsters side. "Be thankful it's empty!" the bare-handed warrior growled.

"That was... That was..." the Man-in-White began, approaching Wisp, unable to find any words. He was angry, impressed, and overjoyed, all at the same time.

"You saved my ass," Wisp smiled genuinely. "Thanks!"

The smaller man ignored the compliment, searching for his words. "What was that?" he managed, finally. He'd seen such feats ages ago, but never barehanded, and never in this day and age.

"That's a few lifetimes worth of training," Wisp replied casually, patting off the dust off his leather jacket.

"Lifetimes?" the Man-in-White asked, incredulously.

Wisp crossed his arms, and sighed heavily."Me and Jack... we've... I've..." he began, before stopping himself short. "I've been at this sort of thing for a lot longer then the rest of you. It's a a the tale to tell some other time."

The Man-in-White nodded solemnly before responding, "I may take you up on that tale. The Old Man had hinted..."

"The Old Man talks too much," Wisp cut him off. He dropped down to his knee, taking a moment to retie his shoe. "Some other time. I don't tell tales so well, and you'd get a better sense of mine by watching bad Highlander re-runs and playing Street Fighter for an hour."

The Man-in-White quipped an eyebrow at that, unsure how to respond. Silence reigned, and the two began to drag the unconscious bodies of the gunman behind the over turned dumpster, depositing them out of sight of passersby.

"Yes, perhaps some other time," the Man-in-White whispered, dropping the last guard on to their pile. They both stood before it now, the shimmering aura of colors, shining like a spring mist refracting the noon-hour sun. "There is work to be done."

The Marble Phantasm awaited them.

* * *

"How do we get in?" the Man-in-White growled impatiently, hovering over Wisp's shoulder as the Phantasm was examined. It had been fifteen minutes since Arthur went in...

Wisp silently continued his examination, ignoring the other man. "It's a pocket realm," Wisp mumbled, speaking to himself. He looked unhappy. He closed his eyes, and continued to mumble, his tone so low that his counterpart could barely hear him. "Their aura's are inside. Three ki's... two of them very weak... and one very strong. Lots of refined ki. Too refined... Mana, of course, the kid's a mage..." What the other man was seeing or sensing, the Man-in-White could only imagine.

Wisp slowly reached his hand out to touch the sparkling light, a curious blue glow surrounding it. Suddenly, a bright white flashed and he retched his hand away. "Ouch!" he gasped, flinching his hand almost as if it had been burned. Despite the pain, his dour expression had vanished. "There is an entrance, alright," he grinned, "but it only opens and closes only to the wielder of the Phantasm."

"So we can't get in?" the Man-in-White asked, dejected.

"No_. 'I am the wanderer,_ _all paths are open to me,'_" he recited, almost like a chant. "I will enter, and you will guard our exit."

"You are not so powerful as to take on a Divine Spirit by yourself," the Man-in-White scoffed.

"I couldn't take a Spirit with you either," Wisp argued, shaking his head. "If I have to come out running with my tail between my legs, I'm going to be very disappointed if their are more gunmen waiting for me."

"I suppose..." he pondered, uncertain. "You would take it on bare handed?"

Wisp nodded. "Yes. But I have more tricks up my sleeve then just punching and kicking."

"Are you certain?"

"No worries!" Wisp replied with a toothful grin. That smile was quickly beginning to drive him mad. "I have a plan."

After Wisp's jump from the roof, those words did not inspire much in the Man-in-White. Still, what choice did he have?

* * *

"**Paved in Blood and Dust..." **Wisp began, his eyes closed, his elbows level, and his palms pressed together as if in strange prayer. The air suddenly felt as if it was beginning to stir, and the alley became a little darker. **"A road of infinite when and wheres... And a curse to wander it forever."**

**"Denied the sweet release of death, I wandered eternally in-between,"** he continued to chant, slowly and evenly. Beads of sweat began to dot his brow, and dull shadowy glow surrounded him like a thick outline.

He opened his eyes again, the black, misty glow outlining his outstretched hand. **"Reforged in the fires of rebirth, I embrace this cursed path as it embraces me. I make it my greatest weapon!"**

**"I am the Wanderer,"** he breathed, his voice becoming hoarse. The black glow had enveloped the whole alley now, drinking and devouring all light. **"and all paths are open to me!"**

**"Accursed Journey!"**

The light shimmering glow of the Marble Phantasm became engulfed with a pitch black mist. Then, a jagged black tear appeared in the center, like a blinking eye opening in the air. Another tear opened, and another, until a black gaping wound was left floating in the alley. The shimmering rainbow light was all but gone, now but an outline on the edges of the black portal, like the rainbow shimmer of an oil slick.

Light slowly began to return the alley, the sickly glow around Wisp began to dissipate. Wisp dropped to his knees in front of the pitch black hole, gasping for air. "I've projected my curse on to it. The door's been opened," he announced between breaths, "and a seed planted. We shall see whether it takes root or not."

The Man-in-White was silent, taking this all in as the best as he could. He watched Wisp pull himself from the ground and walk towards to the portal he had opened. "Good luck!" he added, awkwardly.

"Yeah, Yeah!" Wisp saluted, not bothering to look back. "See you on the way out, Bedivere," he said, leaping into the misty black door and the new realm that awaited him.

_To be continued..._

* * *

**Author's notes:**

Despite the name choices of Will and Jack... No, this is not Pirates of the Caribbean crossover. Drawing from some different sources, which some knowledgeable readers may be able to guess at. Creating a cast is fun, and Nasuverse makes it so easy.

The temptation to cut this chapter in two was great, but I resisted. It was a doozy.

Thank you to gmsephiroth for betaing the story. :)


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